Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
What Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Do
Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 3.7%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- Production and Processingimportance 3.9/5
- English Languageimportance 3.0/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.8/5
- Psychologyimportance 2.7/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.5/5
- Chemistryimportance 2.4/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.4/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.2/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Spend Time Standing4.7/5
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.4/5
- Spend Time Walking or Running4.3/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.3/5
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.1/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand96% skill match
- Railroad Brake, Signal, and Switch Operators and Locomotive Firers95% skill match
- Bridge and Lock Tenders95% skill match
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders94% skill match
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders94% skill match
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic94% skill match
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers94% skill match
- Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall94% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.3/5
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.8/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.8/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.6/5
- Complex Problem Solvingimportance 2.5/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.5/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Hot Technologies
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Cautiousness
- Stress Tolerance
- Integrity
- Achievement Orientation
- Perseverance
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Gainesville, GA17.06× national avg
- 2Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA12.23× national avg
- 3Merced, CA10.95× national avg
- 4Modesto, CA9.27× national avg
- 5Evansville, IN6.75× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and TendersLateral Move
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning WorkersLateral Move
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersLateral Move
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and TendersLateral Move