Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders Salary
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA make a median of $40,300 a year, or about $19.38 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 111.89), so that salary is closer to $36,018 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,001/month, about 107.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $40K get you in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad’s Regional Price Parity (111.89). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
Pay for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad runs about 16% below the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $3,001/month, which is 107.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 12% above the national average (BEA RPP 111.89), so groceries and services cost more too. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenderss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in metros near San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $39K | $34K |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $53K | $48K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $48K | $45K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $50K | $43K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
Entry-level furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $40K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $16K spread from bottom to top.
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | $77K | +61% | 100 |
| Kentucky | $76K | +57% | 240 |
| Illinois | $63K | +31% | 230 |
| Kansas | $62K | +30% | 210 |
| Wyoming | $62K | +29% | 50 |
| North Dakota | $60K | +25% | 70 |
| Washington | $59K | +22% | 430 |
| Idaho | $58K | +20% | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $56K | +17% | 210 |
| Colorado | $56K | +16% | 100 |
| Massachusetts | $53K | +11% | 120 |
| Montana | $53K | +11% | 100 |
| Vermont | $53K | +9% | 50 |
| New Jersey | $52K | +9% | 300 |
| Oregon | $51K | +6% | 540 |
| Georgia | $51K | +6% | 870 |
| Alabama | $51K | +5% | 1,090 |
| Virginia | $50K | +3% | 260 |
| Pennsylvania | $50K | +3% | 410 |
| Missouri | $49K | +3% | 270 |
| New York | $49K | +3% | 490 |
| New Hampshire | $49K | +3% | 60 |
| Indiana | $49K | +2% | 650 |
| South Dakota | $48K | +0% | 40 |
| South Carolina | $48K | +0% | 300 |
| Maine | $48K | +0% | 70 |
| Louisiana | $48K | -0% | 120 |
| Michigan | $47K | -1% | 420 |
| Minnesota | $47K | -2% | 100 |
| Ohio | $46K | -4% | 1,580 |
| Iowa | $46K | -4% | 100 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -5% | 80 |
| Utah | $46K | -5% | 130 |
| California | $45K | -6% | 900 |
| Texas | $45K | -6% | 780 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -7% | 640 |
| Arizona | $45K | -7% | 140 |
| Mississippi | $44K | -8% | 370 |
| Arkansas | $44K | -9% | 150 |
| Oklahoma | $43K | -11% | 370 |
| Florida | $42K | -12% | 350 |
| Nebraska | $42K | -13% | 100 |
| North Carolina | $39K | -18% | 530 |
Showing 1–10 of 43 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $40K, rent takes 107.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,001/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,176/month. At HUD’s $3,001/month FMR, rent would take 138% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tender a high-paying job in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
Local pay runs 16% below the national median — $40K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad compare to the national average for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad pays $40K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -16%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 111.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $36K — below the national median.
How much do furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders make in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA?
The median is $40,300 a year, that works out to about $19 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,270, and experienced furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders can clear $51,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $40K enough to live in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,802/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,001/month, which eats 107.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders salary go in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad?
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad has a Regional Price Parity of 111.89 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders salary is worth about $36,018 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.