🏭
Metal manufacturing and finishing
Nucor, U.S. Steel, Cleveland-Cliffs
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
These workers run wash tanks, cleaning lines, and pickling equipment that remove dirt, scale, oil, or other impurities from metal and other manufactured materials. The job is unusual because it mixes machine operation with chemical handling: you have to keep the process strong enough to clean, but controlled enough not to damage the product. It is fairly accessible to enter, but the work is repetitive, physical, and tied to modest pay and slow growth.
Also known as Washer OperatorWash Line OperatorCleaning Equipment OperatorMetal Pickling OperatorProcess Equipment Tender
Median Salary
$41,460
Mean $43,380
U.S. Workforce
~14K
1.6K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+3.6%
14.6K to 15.2K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~14K workers, with a median annual pay of $41,460 and roughly 1.6K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 14.6 K in 2024 to 15.2K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent plus moderate-term on-the-job training, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Production Helper and can progress toward Shift Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, and Machine Controls, Gauges & Thermometers, paired with soft skills such as Attention to Detail, Communication, and Critical Thinking.
Core Responsibilities
- Measure cleaning chemicals, mix them correctly, and add them to tanks or machines at the right time so the solution stays effective.
- Start the washing equipment and set the cycle length, temperature, pumps, and conveyor speed to match the job.
- Watch gauges, thermometers, and machine behavior for signs that the process is drifting out of spec, then make small adjustments before a batch is ruined.
- Run equipment that cleans items like metal parts, barrels, glass products, plastic pieces, or rubber goods without damaging the material.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Measure cleaning chemicals, mix them correctly, and add them to tanks or machines at the right time so the solution stays effective.
02 Start the washing equipment and set the cycle length, temperature, pumps, and conveyor speed to match the job.
03 Watch gauges, thermometers, and machine behavior for signs that the process is drifting out of spec, then make small adjustments before a batch is ruined.
04 Run equipment that cleans items like metal parts, barrels, glass products, plastic pieces, or rubber goods without damaging the material.
05 Write down readings, chemical amounts, run times, and test results so the production record stays accurate.
06 Drain, clean, and refill tanks or machines on schedule to remove buildup and prepare the equipment for the next run.
Industries That Hire
🥫
Food and beverage processing
Tyson Foods, Kraft Heinz, General Mills
🧴
Glass, plastics, and packaging
Corning, O-I Glass, Berry Global
📄
Pulp, paper, and wood products
International Paper, Georgia-Pacific, WestRock
🧼
Industrial services and sanitation
Cintas, UniFirst, Aramark
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
You can get into the field with a high school diploma and on-the-job training, so the barrier to entry is lower than for many plant jobs.
+
There are about 1.6K annual openings, which gives job seekers recurring chances even though total employment is only 13,890.
+
The work is hands-on and concrete: you can see whether your settings, chemicals, and timing are actually doing the job.
+
The skills transfer across multiple plants and industries, from metal finishing to food processing to packaging.
+
The daily routine is structured around clear procedures, which can be a plus if you prefer measurable tasks over open-ended office work.
Challenges
-
Pay is modest for physically messy work: the median is $41,460 and the mean is $43,380.
-
Growth is slow at 3.6% through 2034, with only 0.5K net new jobs projected, so advancement will depend more on turnover than expansion.
-
The career ceiling is fairly flat unless you move into lead, quality, maintenance, or supervisor roles, and those steps usually take extra experience or training.
-
The job is tied to factories and processing plants, so opportunities are concentrated in specific regions instead of being spread everywhere.
-
Automation and centralized wash systems can reduce the number of workers needed to monitor and tend the equipment, which creates a long-term demand risk.
Career Progression
Production Helper
0-1 years
$29K-$34K
Helps load materials, clean equipment, and learn the plant's safety rules and machine controls.
Equipment Operator
1-3 years
$35K-$40K
Runs basic washing or cleaning equipment, checks settings, and keeps simple production records.
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operator and Tender THIS ROLE
3-7 years
$41K-$46K
Handles the full cleaning or pickling process, adjusts chemical levels and cycle settings, and watches for defects or equipment problems.
Lead Operator
7-10 years
$47K-$54K
Takes on harder equipment issues, helps train newer workers, and keeps multiple lines or tanks running to spec.
Shift Supervisor
10+ years
$55K-$67K
Oversees the line, assigns workers, responds to quality or safety issues, and keeps production moving on schedule.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent plus moderate-term on-the-job training
This is the usual entry point according to BLS, and most workers learn the process on the job rather than through a long college program.
Some college courses
Some workers come in with some college coursework, which shows up for 3.89% of workers in the education distribution.
Associate's degree in industrial technology or manufacturing
An associate's degree appears for 3.89% of workers in the distribution and can help with machine basics, safety, and process control.
Post-secondary certificate in industrial maintenance or manufacturing
A certificate path appears for 0.73% of workers in the distribution and can shorten the time needed to learn equipment operation and shop safety.
Key Skills
Technical
Operation and Control 65%
Operations Monitoring 62%
Machine Controls, Gauges & Thermometers 61%
Monitoring 58%
Chemical Solution Mixing & Bath Testing 57%
Production Logs & Batch Documentation 56%
Safety Lockout/Tagout & PPE 55%
Soft Skills
Attention to DetailCommunicationCritical ThinkingTime ManagementCoordinationActive Listening Job Outlook and Trends
+3.6%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
1.6K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 14.6K to 15.2 K over the next decade, representing 3.6% growth. Around 1.6 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.