The average annual and hourly salaries for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in the state of Tennessee are shown in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively. The comparison of the salary statistics of furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders among Tennessee cities is shown in Table 3. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2017 and published in April 2018 [1].
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $25,340 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $29,920 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $36,080 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $43,240 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $51,010 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in Tennessee in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $51,010. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $36,080. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $25,340.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders from 2012 to 2017.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 5-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $36,080 | 9.65% | 20.93% |
| 2016 | $32,600 | 5.58% | - |
| 2015 | $30,780 | 1.72% | - |
| 2014 | $30,250 | -1.55% | - |
| 2013 | $30,720 | 7.13% | - |
| 2012 | $28,530 | - | - |
Table 3 shows the median annual salary of furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in some Tennessee cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in state of Tennessee ranges from $27,920 to $40,680. The highest paying area for furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders in Tennessee is South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area with a median annual salary of $40,680. The second highest paying city/area in Tennessee State is Knoxville (mean annual salary $39,690). The lowest paying area is Morristown with a median annual salary of $27,920.