Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Also called: Furnace Operator, Heat Treat Operator, Heat Treat Technician, Heat TreaterSet up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 23 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 9.5% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 3.5% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other metal workers and plastic workers”
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.4 hires for every 10 job openings in durable goods manufacturing, which employs about 90% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,920 | $40,830 to $52,800 | 170 |
| Arizona | $50,660 | $45,450 to $55,680 | 160 |
| Arkansas | $37,590 | $34,510 to $49,240 | 200 |
| California | $50,150 | $47,280 to $59,560 | 770 |
| Colorado | $58,300 | $48,860 to $66,790 | 100 |
| Connecticut | $44,350 | $37,720 to $54,380 | 320 |
| Florida | $47,370 | $39,850 to $54,010 | 150 |
| Georgia | $44,050 | $40,710 to $51,320 | 250 |
| Illinois | $45,340 | $38,450 to $57,780 | 850 |
| Indiana | $46,860 | $34,990 to $55,310 | 990 |
| Iowa | $49,760 | $40,300 to $53,060 | 120 |
| Kansas | $47,500 | $39,070 to $62,220 | 50 |
| Kentucky | $47,090 | $38,630 to $56,160 | 340 |
| Louisiana | $35,180 | $33,360 to $36,130 | not published |
| Maine | $45,590 | $43,500 to $60,890 | 40 |
| Massachusetts | $49,280 | $45,450 to $64,240 | 250 |
| Michigan | $50,560 | $47,270 to $58,290 | 1,190 |
| Minnesota | $41,100 | $38,230 to $53,990 | 90 |
| Mississippi | $46,630 | $36,960 to $61,580 | 80 |
| Missouri | $47,980 | $47,810 to $53,100 | 140 |
| Nebraska | $48,120 | $38,710 to $48,830 | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $52,250 | $46,960 to $62,890 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $49,640 | $38,780 to $58,110 | 440 |
| New York | $52,940 | $44,510 to $62,220 | 280 |
| North Carolina | $46,660 | $37,690 to $55,780 | 320 |
| Ohio | $52,880 | $45,560 to $62,710 | 1,040 |
| Oklahoma | $51,680 | $42,570 to $65,640 | 120 |
| Oregon | $60,280 | $47,650 to $76,510 | 240 |
| Pennsylvania | $48,800 | $40,260 to $58,300 | 1,520 |
| South Carolina | $46,750 | $40,020 to $50,510 | 290 |
| Tennessee | $54,930 | $45,110 to $56,280 | 670 |
| Texas | $41,690 | $28,210 to $60,130 | 1,450 |
| Utah | $47,860 | $37,830 to $53,890 | 90 |
| Virginia | $55,070 | $46,730 to $68,260 | 190 |
| Washington | $61,990 | $52,560 to $80,790 | 140 |
| West Virginia | $56,880 | $46,930 to $57,540 | 70 |
| Wisconsin | $49,100 | $47,930 to $58,400 | 470 |
Nationally: $48,750. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 3 of its 23 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Set up and operate or tend machines, such as furnaces, baths, flame-hardening machines, and electronic induction machines, that harden, anneal, and heat-treat metal. | Not published |
| Not much | Read production schedules and work orders to determine processing sequences, furnace temperatures, and heat cycle requirements for objects to be heat-treated. | Not published |
| Not much | Instruct new workers in machine operation. | Not published |
| AI + software | Record times that parts are removed from furnaces to document that objects have attained specified temperatures for specified times. | Not published |
| Not much | Adjust controls to maintain temperatures and heating times, using thermal instruments and charts, dials and gauges of furnaces, and color of stock in furnaces to make setting determinations. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove parts from furnaces after specified times, and air dry or cool parts in water, oil brine, or other baths. | Not published |
See all 23 tasks
| Not much | Move controls to light gas burners and to adjust gas and water flow and flame temperature. | Not published |
| Not much | Start conveyors and open furnace doors to load stock, or signal crane operators to uncover soaking pits and lower ingots into them. | Not published |
| Not much | Load parts into containers and place containers on conveyors to be inserted into furnaces, or insert parts into furnaces. | Not published |
| Not much | Set and adjust speeds of reels and conveyors for prescribed time cycles to pass parts through continuous furnaces. | Not published |
| Not much | Examine parts to ensure metal shades and colors conform to specifications, using knowledge of metal heat-treating. | Not published |
| Not much | Determine types and temperatures of baths and quenching media needed to attain specified part hardness, toughness, and ductility, using heat-treating charts and knowledge of methods, equipment, and metals. | Not published |
| Not much | Test parts for hardness, using hardness testing equipment, or by examining and feeling samples. | Not published |
| Not much | Reduce heat when processing is complete to allow parts to cool in furnaces or machinery. | Not published |
| Not much | Determine flame temperatures, current frequencies, heating cycles, and induction heating coils needed, based on degree of hardness required and properties of stock to be treated. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair, replace, and maintain furnace equipment as needed, using hand tools. | Not published |
| AI + software | Signal forklift operators to deposit or extract containers of parts into and from furnaces and quenching rinse tanks. | Not published |
| Not much | Heat billets, bars, plates, rods, and other stock to specified temperatures preparatory to forging, rolling, or processing, using oil, gas, or electrical furnaces. | Not published |
| Not much | Position stock in furnaces, using tongs, chain hoists, or pry bars. | Not published |
| Not much | Mount workpieces in fixtures, on arbors, or between centers of machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean oxides and scales from parts or fittings, using steam sprays or chemical and water baths. | Not published |
| Not much | Mount fixtures and industrial coils on machines, using hand tools. | Not published |
| AI + software | Stamp heat-treatment identification marks on parts, using hammers and punches. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 0 of the 23 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 23 tasks fall under 16 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #37 Determine operational methods or procedures
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Position workpieces or materials on equipment | |||
| Determine operational methods or procedures | |||
| Inspect completed work or finished products | |||
| Signal others to coordinate work activities | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes |
Show all 16 activities
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Repair tools or equipment | |||
| Train others to use equipment or products | |||
| Prepare industrial materials for processing or use | |||
| Remove workpieces from production equipment |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 567 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 9%
- 2 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 3%
- 4 Security Guards Moderate +0.9% 3%
- 5 Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators Low +1.5% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 819 moves in
- 1 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 11%
- 2 Claims Adjusters, Examiners, and Investigators Very high -5.5% 7%
- 3 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 6%
- 4 Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners Low +2.2% 5%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 20% less than high school
- 70% high school
- 10% postsecondary certificate
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 19 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 14% less than high school
- 52% high school
- 21% some college
- 8% associate's
- 4% bachelor's
- 1% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other metal workers and plastic workers” · 3,391 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in the Census group “Other metal workers and plastic workers”
2 programs: Machine Tool Technology/Machinist and Machine Shop Technology/Assistant.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (HEAT TREATER I). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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