Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders vs Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders: $54K vs $43K Median Pay

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders vs Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders: what changes?

Consider Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders if you want to operate or tend furnaces, such as gas, oil, coal, electric-arc or electric induction, open-hearth, or oxygen furnaces, to melt and refine metal before casting or to produce specified types of steel. Consider Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders if you would rather operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders and Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

National median pay (2025): $54,430
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,400

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 2.9% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders brief

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

National median pay (2025): $43,220
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Attach identification labels to finished packaged items, or cut stencils and stencil information on containers, such as lot numbers or shipping destinations.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 41,400

Know before you choose

The work can involve real occupational hazards. Training, protective equipment, and routine safety discipline matter every day.

See the full Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders brief

How the national numbers differ

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders has the edge on annual openings

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders is at 41,400 annual openings, compared with 1,400 annual openings for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders has the edge on projected growth

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders is at 4.1% projected growth, compared with -2.9% projected growth for Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders.

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders has the edge on median pay

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders is at $54,430, compared with $43,220 for Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders.

36/ 100

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

58.4/ 100

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders vs Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

Dimension	Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders	Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders
Median pay (2025)	$54,430	$43,220
Pay percentile	39.2 percentile	15.2 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-2.9%	4.1%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,400	41,400
2025 employment	16,800	377,700
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders brief Read Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders brief

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders vs Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

How the national numbers differ

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders has the edge on annual openings

Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders has the edge on projected growth

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders has the edge on median pay

Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders vs Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders

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