How To Become A Furnace Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a furnace operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A furnace operator is in charge of ensuring that a furnace, a machine that heats things to high temperatures, is operating properly. They usually work in the manufacturing industry, where furnaces are used to melt metal before being shaped and refined.

Furnace operators use different tools, such as thermostats and pyrometers, to analyze and record the furnace's heat. They make adjustments if necessary to make sure that it is at the ideal temperature for melting metal. Furnace operators also load material into furnaces. In order to do their job, they need to have experience with tools used to manage complex equipment such as furnaces and a lot of physical stamina.

The skills needed to become a successful furnace operator aren't exactly learned in a classroom. In fact, only 6.7% of furnace operators have bachelor's degrees. Practical experience operating machinery, for example, by working as a machine or forklift operator, is more important than any diploma. Furnace operators earn an average annual salary of $30,659.

ScoreFurnace OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,972

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.5

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.87%

Asian 3.58%

Black or African American 10.89%

Hispanic or Latino 17.00%

Unknown 4.85%

White 62.82%

Gender

female 7.43%

male 92.57%

Age - 45

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 45

Stress Level

7.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

4.4

Complexity Level is basic

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.8

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a furnace operator

Explore furnace operator education requirements

Most common furnace operator degrees

High School Diploma

54.9 %

Associate

15.5 %

Diploma

11.2 %

Start to develop specific furnace operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Math	9.50%
Basic Math	9.31%
Cranes	9.14%
Preventative Maintenance	8.87%
Safety Procedures	5.17%

Complete relevant furnace operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New furnace operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a furnace operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real furnace operator resumes.

Research furnace operator duties and responsibilities

Lead and coordinate team in all aspects of operation in an aluminum blast furnace.
Manage the master calendar and schedule resources such as communication equipment, weapons, transportation and ammunition forecast and delivery.
Operate ABB robotic cell by loading parts on fixtures to be weld together.
Maintain safety measures and PPE.

Prepare your furnace operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your furnace operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a furnace operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Furnace Operator Resume templates

Build a professional Furnace Operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Furnace Operator resume.

Apply for furnace operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a furnace operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do furnace operators rate their job?

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Furnace Operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019

Cons

Short time at work that to day U not working we will call you when we have busy I need a full time job not part time

Pros

It challenging I love challenge to work as a operator it a very challenging job