$65,870($31.67/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
-
Chemical Plant and System Operators control or operate entire chemical processes or system of machines.
$39,730 ($19.10/hr)
No formal educational credential
None
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship Loaders load and unload chemicals and bulk solids, such as coal, sand, and grain, into or from tank cars, trucks, or ships, using material moving equipment. They may perform a variety of other tasks relating to shipment of products, and gauge or sample shipping tanks and test them for leaks.
$56,260 ($27.05/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers maintain and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery, such as conveying systems, production machinery, and packaging equipment. Millwrights install, dismantle, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.
$53,720 ($25.83/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians, also called mechanics, inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, rail transportation, and other industries.
$36,430 ($17.51/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders operate or tend equipment such as cooling and freezing units, refrigerators, batch freezers, and freezing tunnels, to cool or freeze products, food, blood plasma, and chemicals.
$32,620 ($15.68/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Food Batchmakers set up and operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients used in the manufacturing of food products.
$46,820 ($22.51/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Earth Drillers operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction.
$33,300 ($16.01/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and tenders operate or tend machines to wash or clean products- such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tinplate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber - to remove impurities.
$49,980 ($24.03/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers maintain and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery, such as conveying systems, production machinery, and packaging equipment. Millwrights install, dismantle, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.
$45,830 ($22.03/hr)
Associate's degree
None
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians monitor the environment and investigate sources of pollution and contamination, including those affecting public health.
$48,000 ($23.08/hr)
Postsecondary nondegree award
None
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, which are often called HVACR technicians, work on heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration systems that control the temperature and air quality in buildings.
$46,360 ($22.29/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Machinists set up and operate a variety of computer-controlled and mechanically controlled equipment to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools.
$45,380 ($21.82/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators use construction equipment like bulldozers and front-end loaders to dig, move, and grade earth; erect structures; or pour concrete. Among other duties, they may repair and maintain equipment.
$49,600 ($23.85/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers maintain and repair factory equipment and other industrial machinery, such as conveying systems, production machinery, and packaging equipment. Millwrights install, dismantle, repair, reassemble, and move machinery in factories, power plants, and construction sites.
$35,480 ($17.06/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders operate or tend machines to prepare industrial or consumer products for storage or shipment. This category includes cannery workers who pack food products.
$41,150 ($19.79/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to coat or paint products like glassware, cloth, ceramics, metal, plastic, paper, or wood with lacquer, silver, copper, rubber, varnish, glaze, enamel, oil, or rust-proofing materials.
$47,200 ($22.69/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join or cut metal parts. They also fill holes, indentations, or seams in metal products.
$45,900 ($22.07/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians, also called mechanics, inspect, maintain, and repair vehicles and machinery used in construction, farming, rail transportation, and other industries.
$46,600 ($22.40/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks coordinate and advance the flow of work and materials within or between an establishment's departments according to a production schedule.
$38,230 ($18.38/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Medical Equipment Preparers prepare, sterilize, install, or clean laboratory or healthcare equipment. They can also perform routine laboratory tasks and operate or inspect equipment.
$42,020 ($20.20/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers install, fix and maintain machines, mechanical equipment, and buildings. This category includes all installation, maintenance, and repair workers not contained somewhere else.
$50,290 ($24.18/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Diesel service technicians and mechanics (also known as diesel technicians) inspect, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engine.
$48,550 ($23.34/hr)
No formal educational credential
None
Continuous Mining Machine Operators use self-propelled mining machines that rip coal, metal and nonmetal ores, rock, stone, or sand from the mine face and load it onto conveyors, shuttle cars, or trucks, in a continuous operation.
$47,220 ($22.70/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters install and repair piping fixtures and systems.
$52,730 ($25.35/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators control stationary engines, boilers, or other mechanical equipment to provide utilities for buildings or for industrial purposes.
$37,840 ($18.19/hr)
No formal educational credential
None
Agricultural Equipment Operators drive and control farm equipment to till soil and to plant, cultivate, and harvest crops.
$41,700 ($20.05/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, and tend continuous flow or vat-type equipment, filter presses, shaker screens, centrifuges, condenser tubes, precipitating, fermenting, or evaporating tanks, scrubbing towers, or batch stills. These machines extract, sort, or separate liquids, gases, or solids from other materials to recover a refined product. This category includes dairy processing equipment operators.
$44,720 ($21.50/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Extraction Workers Helpers support extraction craft workers, such as earth drillers, blasters and explosives workers, derrick operators, and mining machine operators, by performing duties requiring less skill. Their duties include supplying equipment and cleaning their work area.
$58,210 ($27.99/hr)
Associate's degree
None
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians help engineers solve problems affecting manufacturing layout or production. They prepare machinery and equipment plans, design workflows, conduct statistical production studies, and analyze production costs.
$29,270 ($14.07/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders operate or tend cooking equipment, such as steam cooking vats, deep fry cookers, pressure cookers, kettles, and boilers, to prepare food products.
$36,820 ($17.70/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. This category includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.
$48,220 ($23.18/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers fix, maintain, or install electric motors, wiring, or switches.
$36,500 ($17.55/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Recordkeeping Weighers, Measurers, Checkers, and Samplers check materials, supplies, and equipment in order to keep relevant records. Their duties are primarily clerical.
$38,760 ($18.64/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Pesticide Handlers, Sprayers, and Applicators mix or apply pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or insecticides through sprays, dusts, vapors, soil incorporation, or chemical application on trees, shrubs, lawns, or botanical crops. They usually need specific training and State or Federal certification.
$55,260 ($26.57/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Crane and Tower Operators operate mechanical boom and cable or tower and cable equipment to lift and move materials, machines, or products in many directions.
$38,000 ($18.27/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Hazardous Materials (hazmat) Removal Workers identify and dispose of harmful substances, such as asbestos, lead, mold, and radioactive waste. They also neutralize and clean up materials that are flammable, corrosive, or toxic.
$46,500 ($22.36/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Home appliance repairers install, adjust, or repair all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
$40,490 ($19.47/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to mix or blend materials, such as chemicals, tobacco, liquids, color pigments, or explosive ingredients.
$49,670 ($23.88/hr)
Associate's degree
None
Chemical Technicians use laboratory instruments and techniques to help scientists analyze the properties of materials.
$46,380 ($22.30/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Semiconductor Processing Technicians perform any or all of the following functions in the manufacture of electronic semiconductors: load semiconductor material into furnace; saw formed ingots into segments; load individual segment into crystal growing chamber and monitor controls; locate crystal axis in ingot using x-ray equipment and saw ingots into wafers; and clean, polish, and load wafers into series of special purpose furnaces, chemical baths, and equipment used to form circuitry and change conductive properties.
$38,070 ($18.30/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.
$41,700 ($20.05/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend paper goods machines that perform a variety of functions, such as converting, sawing, corrugating, banding, wrapping, boxing, stitching, forming, or sealing paper or paperboard sheets into products.
$27,560 ($13.25/hr)
No formal educational credential
None
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants service automobiles, buses, trucks, boats, and other automotive or marine vehicles with fuel, lubricants, and accessories. They collect payment for services and supplies, and may also lubricate vehicles, change motor oil, refill antifreeze, replace lights or other accessories- such as windshield wiper blades or fan belts - or repair and replace tires.
$39,210 ($18.85/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines, such as glass-forming machines, plodder machines, and tuber machines, to shape and form products such as glassware, food, rubber, soap, brick, tile, clay, wax, tobacco, or cosmetics.
$36,730 ($17.66/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders 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 specific types of steel.
$43,180 ($20.76/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Metal and Plastic Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes.
$44,320 ($21.31/hr)
Associate's degree
None
Food Science Technicians assist agricultural and food scientists by performing duties such as measuring and analyzing the quality of food and agricultural products. Duties range from performing agricultural labor with added recordkeeping duties to laboratory testing with significant amounts of office work, depending on the particular field the technician works in.
$38,010 ($18.27/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Quality Control Inspectors examine products and materials for defects or deviations from specifications.
$45,780 ($22.01/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators operate computer-controlled tools, machines, or robots to machine or process parts, tools, or other work pieces made of metal, plastic, wood, stone, or other materials. May also set up and maintain equipment.
$45,930 ($22.08/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators manage a system of machines, often through the use of control boards, to transfer or treat water or wastewater.
$48,950 ($23.53/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders operate or tend equipment to control chemical changes or reactions in the processing of industrial or consumer products. The equipment that they use can include devulcanizers, steam-jacketed kettles, and reactor vessels.
$43,720 ($21.02/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Synthetic and Glass Fiber Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend machines that extrude and form continuous filaments from synthetic materials, such as liquid polymer, rayon, and fiberglass.
$41,950 ($20.17/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Metal and Plastic Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend heating equipment such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, or heat-treat metal or plastic objects.
$38,100 ($18.32/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Printing Press Operators set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. This category includes short-run offset printing presses.
$48,500 ($23.32/hr)
No formal educational credential
None
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders operate or tend food or tobacco roasting, baking, or drying equipment, including hearth ovens, kiln driers, roasters, char kilns, and vacuum drying equipment.
$48,180 ($23.16/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems assemblers fit, fasten, and install parts of airplanes, space vehicles, or missiles.
$50,590 ($24.32/hr)
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Metal and Plastic Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders set up, operate, or tend forging machines to taper, shape, or form metal or plastic parts.