Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, & Kettle Operators & Tenders
Dry Kiln Operator,
Furnace Operator,
Kiln Fireman,
Kiln Operator
What they do: Operate or tend heating equipment other than basic metal, plastic, or food processing equipment. Includes activities such as annealing glass, drying lumber, curing rubber, removing moisture from materials, or boiling soap.
- DemandHigh
- state Avg. Salary $$$$$$48,000Download Career Flyer
What do they typically do on the job?
- Monitor equipment operation, gauges, and panel lights to detect deviations from standards.
- Confer with supervisors or other equipment operators to report equipment malfunctions or to resolve production problems.
- Press and adjust controls to activate, set, and regulate equipment according to specifications.
Personality
Interests
Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.
Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

Abilities
Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.
Verbal
Listen and understand what people say
Read and understand what is written
Hand and Finger Use
Keep your arm or hand steady
Hold or move items with your hands

Skills
People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.
Basic Skills
Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
Problem Solving
Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Does this sound like something you'd like to do?
1. Do some research
- Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
- Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
- Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move
- Talk to your college and career counselor or school admissions staff
- Visit Idaho Launch
- Search for available Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, & Kettle Operators & Tenders jobs on Idaho Works
Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop