Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders Salary
Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI make a median of $41,500 a year, or about $19.95 an hour. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $60K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.86), which stretches that salary to about $44,691 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $993/month, about 34.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $42K get you in South Bend-Mishawaka?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by South Bend-Mishawaka’s Regional Price Parity (92.86). 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.
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What this looks like in South Bend-Mishawaka
Pay for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in South Bend-Mishawaka runs about 14% below the U.S. median of $48K. Rent runs $993/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.86 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in metros near South Bend-Mishawaka, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $47K | $49K |
| Elkhart-Goshen | $46K | $51K |
| Cincinnati | $47K | $49K |
| Cleveland | $46K | $49K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI
Entry-level furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $60K or more, a $29K 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
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
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Frequently asked questions
Can a furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tender afford a 2BR apartment alone in South Bend-Mishawaka?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 34.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $993/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/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 South Bend-Mishawaka?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,844/month. At HUD’s $993/month FMR, rent would take 54% 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 South Bend-Mishawaka?
Local pay runs 14% below the national median — $42K here vs. $48K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does South Bend-Mishawaka compare to the national average for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders?
South Bend-Mishawaka pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -14%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.86), the purchasing-power equivalent is $45K — below the national median.
How much do furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders make in South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI?
The median is $41,500 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $30,740, and experienced furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders can clear $60,000. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in South Bend-Mishawaka?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,843/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $993/month, which eats 34.9% 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 South Bend-Mishawaka?
South Bend-Mishawaka has a Regional Price Parity of 92.86 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders salary is worth about $44,691 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.