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Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
2 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 6,000 hours, for CUPOLA TENDER (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| CUPOLA TENDER | 0991 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| FURNACE OPERATOR | 0944 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What metal-refining furnace operators and tenders earn, by state
Minnesota has the highest state median for metal-refining furnace operators and tenders ($75,880) and Mississippi the lowest ($39,610), across the 36 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | $75,880 | $36.48 | 200 |
| New Jersey | $75,020 | $36.07 | 150 |
| New York | $66,440 | $31.94 | 760 |
| Oregon | $64,410 | $30.97 | 400 |
| Washington | $62,850 | $30.22 | 330 |
| North Carolina | $60,780 | $29.22 | 390 |
| Utah | $60,510 | $29.09 | 330 |
| Arizona | $59,830 | $28.76 | 490 |
| Kentucky | $59,040 | $28.38 | 810 |
| Massachusetts | $58,480 | $28.11 | 240 |
| California | $58,310 | $28.03 | 280 |
| Indiana | $58,300 | $28.03 | 1,520 |
| Tennessee | $57,490 | $27.64 | 730 |
| Iowa | $57,030 | $27.42 | 330 |
| Virginia | $57,000 | $27.41 | 110 |
| Nevada | $56,790 | $27.31 | 130 |
| West Virginia | $56,290 | $27.06 | 70 |
| Pennsylvania | $55,910 | $26.88 | 1,230 |
| Missouri | $55,480 | $26.67 | 200 |
| Ohio | $55,080 | $26.48 | 1,790 |
| Alabama | $54,260 | $26.09 | 1,250 |
| Nebraska | $52,800 | $25.39 | 60 |
| Illinois | $51,020 | $24.53 | 590 |
| Connecticut | $50,510 | $24.28 | 60 |
| New Mexico | $50,260 | $24.17 | 60 |
| Florida | $49,780 | $23.94 | 700 |
| Oklahoma | $48,890 | $23.51 | 110 |
| Wisconsin | $48,260 | $23.20 | 540 |
| Georgia | $47,750 | $22.96 | 230 |
| Texas | $46,670 | $22.44 | 600 |
| New Hampshire | $46,380 | $22.30 | 60 |
| Michigan | $44,900 | $21.59 | 680 |
| Kansas | $44,800 | $21.54 | 100 |
| South Carolina | $44,160 | $21.23 | 290 |
| Arkansas | $39,920 | $19.19 | 490 |
| Mississippi | $39,610 | $19.04 | 120 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).