SOC 51-9192.00

    Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

    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.

    Median pay
    $43,530
    Growth
    +3.4%
    As fast as average
    Openings a year
    1,700
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $33,790
    Median
    $43,530
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $58,570
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    14,760 people work in this occupation.

    What cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    11 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    0 / 100
    Social (S)
    0 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    0 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    57 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    85
    Documenting/Recording Information
    84
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    81
    Getting Information
    81
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    81
    Handling and Moving Objects
    78
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    78
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    76
    Performing General Physical Activities
    76
    Processing Information
    75
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operation and Control
    • Operations Monitoring
    • Active Listening
    • Critical Thinking
    • Monitoring
    • Speaking
    • Time Management
    • Coordination
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Social Perceptiveness

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing
    • English Language
    • Public Safety and Security
    • Psychology
    • Education and Training
    • Chemistry
    • Mechanical
    • Administration and Management
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Mathematics

    Abilities

    • Near Vision
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Control Precision
    • Information Ordering
    • Perceptual Speed
    • Category Flexibility
    • Finger Dexterity
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Trunk Strength

    Work styles

    • Dependability
    • Attention to Detail
    • Cautiousness
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Self-Control
    • Initiative
    • Adaptability

    Also called

    Acid Dipper · Agitator · Agricultural Produce Washer · Air Table Operator · Ampoule Washing Machine Operator · Anodizer · Bag Bleacher · Barrel Cleaner · Benzene Washer · Benzene Washer Operator

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Licenses by state

    1 state lists a license for this work. Open your state for the license and the agency that issues it.

    Check license requirements on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

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    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 6, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.