Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders pay in California

In California, the median pay for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders is $21.78 an hour ($45,300 a year). About 900 people work in this job there.

$21.78Median hourly pay

$37,440–$54,910Middle half of workers, yearly

900People in this job in California

That is 6% lower than the U.S. median ($48,040). California ranks 34th of 43 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in California

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$17.52	$36,430
25% of workers	$18.00	$37,440
Half of workers (median)	$21.78	$45,300
75% of workers	$26.40	$54,910
90% of workers	$30.99	$64,460

Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$52,830	70
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$49,580	40
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$47,600	50
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	$40,300	50
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$38,900	380

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 3 to 6 months (O*NET)
Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: +2.6% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 1,800 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$52,910
Machine Feeders and Offbearers	$40,380
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$47,300
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders	$45,150
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$45,870
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders	$45,600
Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders	$36,670
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$50,150

Other job titles for this job

FirerKiln OperatorCore Oven TenderAnnealerRivet HeaterTempererVulcanizing Machine OperatorKettle CoordinatorTenter Frame OperatorHair Boiler OperatorPad Extractor TenderSoap Boiler

Open furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders jobs on JAI Bot

No open jobs in this field right now. Search all jobs or set up a free job alert.

Hiring furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders? Use the free hiring guide for a job description and interview questions, then post the job on JAI Bot. Every job shows typical pay to job seekers.

Post a job free Find jobs Check pay for any job

Add this pay figure to your website (free)

Career sites, schools and workforce boards can show this typical pay on their own pages. Copy this code into your page:

<div data-jaibot-pay></div>
<script src="https://www.jaibot.ai/widget/pay/furnace-kiln-oven-drier-and-kettle-operators-and-tenders/california.js" async></script>

It updates by itself when new government figures come out.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.