Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders
Production Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 51-4051.00
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 specified types of steel.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
Low· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.000
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.26–0.31· 2 ISCO-08 groups
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
ILO value for each linked ISCO-08 group
- ISCO-08 3135Metal Production Process Controllers0.31
- ISCO-08 8121Metal Processing Plant Operators0.26
Task-level exposure
15 rated tasks · 2 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (13.3%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 30.2) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Record production data, and maintain production logs.51-4051.00 | 0.00000.0 |
| Not observed on any surface — 14 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | |
Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications. | —0 |
Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles. | —0 |
Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces. | —0 |
Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales. | —0 |
Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures. | —0 |
Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear. | —0 |
Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures. | —0 |
Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators. | —0 |
Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur. | —0 |
Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers. | —0 |
Sprinkle chemicals over molten metal to bring impurities to the surface. | —0 |
Direct work crews in the cleaning and repair of furnace walls and flooring. | —0 |
Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes, or sprayers. | —0 |
Scrape accumulations of metal oxides from floors, molds, and crucibles, and sift and store them for reclamation. | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Record production data, and maintain production logs.O*NET Task ID 10160 | 1.0 |
Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur.O*NET Task ID 10166 | 0.5 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (15)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications. | Core |
| Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles. | Core |
| Record production data, and maintain production logs. | Core |
| Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces. | Core |
| Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales. | Core |
| Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures. | Core |
| Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear. | Core |
| Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures. | Core |
| Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators. | Core |
| Observe operations inside furnaces, using television screens, to ensure that problems do not occur. | Supplemental |
| Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers. | Supplemental |
| Sprinkle chemicals over molten metal to bring impurities to the surface. | Supplemental |
| Direct work crews in the cleaning and repair of furnace walls and flooring. | Supplemental |
| Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes, or sprayers. | Supplemental |
| Scrape accumulations of metal oxides from floors, molds, and crucibles, and sift and store them for reclamation. | Supplemental |
1.37/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Draw smelted metal samples from furnaces or kettles for analysis, and calculate types and amounts of materials needed to ensure that materials meet specifications. | E2 structured facilities |
| Drain, transfer, or remove molten metal from furnaces, and place it into molds, using hoists, pumps, or ladles. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Operate controls to move or discharge metal workpieces from furnaces. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Weigh materials to be charged into furnaces, using scales. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Regulate supplies of fuel and air, or control flow of electric current and water coolant to heat furnaces and adjust temperatures. | E2 structured facilities |
| Inspect furnaces and equipment to locate defects and wear. | E2 structured facilities |
| Observe air and temperature gauges or metal color and fluidity, and turn fuel valves or adjust controls to maintain required temperatures. | E2 structured facilities |
| Kindle fires, and shovel fuel and other materials into furnaces or onto conveyors by hand, with hoists, or by directing crane operators. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Remove impurities from the surface of molten metal, using strainers. | E2 structured facilities |
| Sprinkle chemicals over molten metal to bring impurities to the surface. | E2 structured facilities |
| Prepare material to load into furnaces, including cleaning, crushing, or applying chemicals, by using crushing machines, shovels, rakes, or sprayers. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Scrape accumulations of metal oxides from floors, molds, and crucibles, and sift and store them for reclamation. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
- Employment, 2025
- 17K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 16K
- Change (2025–35)
- -2.9%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $54,430
- Typical education needed for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 84141 | 광석 및 금속 용광로 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 84142 | 금속용해로 및 금속가열로 조작원 | This occupation is broader | confirmed |
| 84149 | 그 외 금속가공 관련 제어 장치 조작원 | Overlapping, not the same | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3135Metal Production Process Controllers
- ISCO-08 8121Metal Processing Plant Operators
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- metal furnace operatorESCO 3135.1Same scope
Metal furnace operators monitor the process of making metal before it is cast into forms. They control metal making furnaces and direct all activities of furnace operation, including the interpretation of computer data, temperature measurement and adjustment, loading vessels, and adding iron, oxygen, and other additives to be melted into the desired metal composition. They control the chemicothermal treatment of the metal in order to reach the standards. In case of observed faults in the metal, they notify the authorised personnel and participate in the removal of the fault.
- heat treatment furnace operatorESCO 7223.9Overlapping, not the same
Heat treatment furnace operators monitor the process of heat treatment of castings. They control the treatment furnaces and direct all activities of furnace operation, including the interpretation of computer data, temperature measurement and adjustment, and loading vessels. They control the chemicothermal treatment of castings in order to reach the standards.
- metal annealerESCO 8121.3Overlapping, not the same
Metal annealers operate electric or gas kilns to soften metal so it can be cut and shaped more easily. They heat the metal to a specific temperature and / or colour and then slowly cool it, both according to specifications. Metal annealers inspect the metals through the entire process to observe any flaws.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| H2907 | Fondeur / Fondeuse en métallurgie | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| H2904 | Forgeron industriel / Forgeronne industrielle | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 8121 | Operadores en instalaciones para la obtención y transformación de metales | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 3135 | Técnicos en control de procesos de producción de metales | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 24112 | Berufe in der Hüttentechnik - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 24113 | Berufe in der Hüttentechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| 24132 | Berufe in der industriellen Gießerei - fachlich ausgerichtete Tätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 521 | 製銑・製鋼・非鉄金属製錬従事者 | This occupation is narrower |
| 491 | 製銑・製鋼・非鉄金属製錬設備制御・監視員 | Related, not a match |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources