Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders (SOC 51-9192) earn a median $43,530 a year ($20.93 an hour) in the United States, with 14,760 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Maine.
What cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders do
Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators run machines that remove impurities from products or materials. Items cleaned range from barrels and kegs to glass, tin plate, dried fruit, pulp, coal, plastic, and rubber. The operator sets controls for temperature and cycle length, starts conveyors, pumps, and agitators, and adds chemicals at the proper times to hold solution levels and concentrations. Metal pickling, named in the title, is one of the cleaning processes the occupation covers. Gauges and thermometers are watched, with adjustments made to keep conditions as specified. Tanks and machines are drained, cleaned, and refilled at set intervals, and readings, materials used, processing times, and test results are logged. Cleaning solutions are measured, weighed, or mixed with measuring tanks, calibrated rods, or suction tubes, and machines are inspected for malfunctions.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Acid Dipper, Agitator, Agricultural Produce Washer, Air Table Operator, Ampoule Washing Machine Operator.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.25 | $17.94 | $20.93 | $23.71 | $28.16 | $21.44 | 14,760 |
| Annual | $33,790 | $37,310 | $43,530 | $49,320 | $58,570 | $44,600 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Maine | Hourly | $19.39 | $20.69 | $31.06 | $36.59 | $37.68 | $28.73 | 40 | 0.07 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $40,340 | $43,040 | $64,610 | $76,100 | $78,380 | $59,760 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $20.59 | $23.35 | $26.10 | $28.33 | $31.42 | $26.06 | 310 | 0.11 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $42,820 | $48,580 | $54,290 | $58,920 | $65,360 | $54,200 | ||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $18.16 | $19.80 | $23.62 | $24.61 | $31.48 | $23.36 | 70 | 0.03 | 0.35 |
| Annual | $37,770 | $41,190 | $49,130 | $51,200 | $65,470 | $48,590 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $20.64 | $20.64 | $23.19 | $23.88 | $24.81 | $22.77 | 60 | 0.15 | 1.55 |
| Annual | $42,940 | $42,940 | $48,240 | $49,660 | $51,600 | $47,360 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $17.50 | $21.34 | $23.08 | $25.49 | $30.25 | $23.34 | 370 | 0.06 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $44,390 | $48,000 | $53,010 | $62,930 | $48,540 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $18.26 | $19.23 | $21.71 | $23.84 | $28.12 | $22.28 | 2,450 | 0.14 | 1.42 |
| Annual | $37,970 | $40,000 | $45,150 | $49,590 | $58,490 | $46,330 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.51 | $16.13 | $17.81 | $22.65 | $27.64 | $19.68 | 1,380 | 0.10 | 1.04 |
| Annual | $30,180 | $33,560 | $37,040 | $47,100 | $57,500 | $40,940 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $17.26 | $18.23 | $21.86 | $25.07 | $30.21 | $22.56 | 1,010 | 0.18 | 1.91 |
| Annual | $35,900 | $37,910 | $45,470 | $52,150 | $62,830 | $46,930 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $17.15 | $17.43 | $21.07 | $23.29 | $26.60 | $20.96 | 830 | 0.26 | 2.74 |
| Annual | $35,680 | $36,260 | $43,820 | $48,450 | $55,320 | $43,600 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $16.48 | $18.12 | $21.35 | $23.60 | $26.07 | $21.27 | 820 | 0.19 | 1.97 |
| Annual | $34,280 | $37,690 | $44,400 | $49,080 | $54,230 | $44,250 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | Hourly | $20.24 | $22.60 | $31.18 | $31.42 | $34.07 | $27.88 | 70 | 0.09 | 0.95 |
| Annual | $42,100 | $47,000 | $64,850 | $65,360 | $70,860 | $57,980 | ||||
| Portland-South Portland, ME | Hourly | $19.62 | $21.95 | $31.06 | $36.59 | $37.68 | $30.70 | 30 | 0.11 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $40,800 | $45,660 | $64,610 | $76,100 | $78,380 | $63,860 | ||||
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | Hourly | $22.48 | $26.97 | $26.97 | $26.99 | $26.99 | $26.22 | 100 | 1.16 | 12.23 |
| Annual | $46,760 | $56,100 | $56,100 | $56,150 | $56,150 | $54,540 | ||||
| Traverse City, MI | Hourly | $17.24 | $18.72 | $25.75 | $25.75 | $26.46 | $23.32 | 30 | 0.47 | 4.97 |
| Annual | $35,870 | $38,940 | $53,550 | $53,550 | $55,030 | $48,510 | ||||
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | Hourly | $18.98 | $21.42 | $25.67 | $26.93 | $31.74 | $25.07 | 120 | 0.11 | 1.13 |
| Annual | $39,470 | $44,550 | $53,400 | $56,020 | $66,020 | $52,140 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.06 | $19.07 | $21.66 | $23.70 | $26.01 | $21.87 | 700 | 0.11 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $37,560 | $39,660 | $45,060 | $49,290 | $54,100 | $45,490 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.72 | $18.24 | $20.12 | $23.15 | $29.71 | $21.73 | 640 | 0.07 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $34,790 | $37,940 | $41,850 | $48,150 | $61,800 | $45,200 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $16.00 | $16.72 | $19.84 | $23.80 | $29.24 | $20.99 | 350 | 0.09 | 0.90 |
| Annual | $33,280 | $34,770 | $41,270 | $49,510 | $60,820 | $43,650 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $16.13 | $16.17 | $18.11 | $20.73 | $23.03 | $19.14 | 350 | 0.11 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $33,550 | $33,640 | $37,670 | $43,120 | $47,900 | $39,800 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $17.50 | $17.63 | $18.03 | $20.18 | $25.81 | $20.04 | 320 | 0.14 | 1.43 |
| Annual | $36,400 | $36,680 | $37,500 | $41,970 | $53,680 | $41,670 | ||||
Top industries employing cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders
Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing employ 10.9% of cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders nationally (1,610 jobs) at a median $42,850 a year ($20.60 an hour), followed by Animal Slaughtering and Processing (10.2%) and Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (8.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing NAICS 311800 | 1,610 | 10.9% | $42,850 | $20.60 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing NAICS 311600 | 1,510 | 10.2% | $40,830 | $19.63 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing NAICS 311400 | 1,280 | 8.7% | $43,790 | $21.05 |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities NAICS 332800 | 1,120 | 7.6% | $38,030 | $18.28 |
| Other Food Manufacturing NAICS 311900 | 970 | 6.6% | $44,250 | $21.27 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (14,760). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $35,090 for cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders in May 2021 and $43,530 in May 2025, with employment of 13,580 and 14,760.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $35,090 | $16.87 | 13,580 |
| May 2022 | $37,190 | $17.88 | 13,200 |
| May 2023 | $39,340 | $18.92 | 15,210 |
| May 2024 | $41,460 | $19.93 | 13,890 |
| May 2025 | $43,530 | $20.93 | 14,760 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
39 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maine profile | $31.06 | $64,610 | $40,340 | $78,380 | 40 | 0.07 | 0.72 |
| 2 | Wisconsin profile | $26.10 | $54,290 | $42,820 | $65,360 | 310 | 0.11 | 1.10 |
| 3 | Oregon profile | $23.62 | $49,130 | $37,770 | $65,470 | 70 | 0.03 | 0.35 |
| 4 | North Dakota profile | $23.19 | $48,240 | $42,940 | $51,600 | 60 | 0.15 | 1.55 |
| 5 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.08 | $48,000 | $36,400 | $62,930 | 370 | 0.06 | 0.64 |
| 6 | New Hampshire profile | $22.84 | $47,510 | $36,740 | $60,370 | 120 | 0.17 | 1.77 |
| 7 | Iowa profile | $22.58 | $46,970 | $39,070 | $58,570 | 430 | 0.27 | 2.89 |
| 8 | New York profile | $22.26 | $46,290 | $34,410 | $62,160 | 710 | 0.07 | 0.77 |
| 9 | Nebraska profile | $21.97 | $45,690 | $36,120 | $59,210 | 400 | 0.39 | 4.15 |
| 10 | Washington profile | $21.92 | $45,600 | $39,700 | $56,500 | 180 | 0.05 | 0.55 |
| 11 | Ohio profile | $21.86 | $45,470 | $35,900 | $62,830 | 1,010 | 0.18 | 1.91 |
| 12 | Virginia profile | $21.79 | $45,330 | $33,830 | $73,870 | 140 | 0.04 | 0.37 |
| 13 | California profile | $21.71 | $45,150 | $37,970 | $58,490 | 2,450 | 0.14 | 1.42 |
| 14 | South Dakota profile | $21.53 | $44,770 | $33,830 | $46,820 | 60 | 0.14 | 1.48 |
| 15 | Michigan profile | $21.35 | $44,400 | $34,280 | $54,230 | 820 | 0.19 | 1.97 |
| 16 | Indiana profile | $21.07 | $43,820 | $35,680 | $55,320 | 830 | 0.26 | 2.74 |
| 17 | Illinois profile | $21.03 | $43,740 | $40,890 | $46,470 | 70 | 0.01 | 0.12 |
| 18 | New Jersey profile | $20.96 | $43,600 | $36,860 | $61,800 | 590 | 0.14 | 1.44 |
| 19 | Massachusetts profile | $20.77 | $43,210 | $37,190 | $56,480 | 380 | 0.10 | 1.09 |
| 20 | Minnesota profile | $20.48 | $42,600 | $32,950 | $54,820 | 70 | 0.02 | 0.25 |
| 21 | Tennessee profile | $19.77 | $41,110 | $32,350 | $48,610 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.39 |
| 22 | Oklahoma profile | $19.69 | $40,950 | $34,330 | $55,880 | 450 | 0.27 | 2.79 |
| 23 | Missouri profile | $19.48 | $40,510 | $32,210 | $50,460 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.71 |
| 24 | Utah profile | $19.21 | $39,970 | $32,240 | $50,300 | 120 | 0.07 | 0.72 |
| 25 | South Carolina profile | $18.87 | $39,240 | $31,190 | $48,950 | 320 | 0.14 | 1.49 |
| 26 | Connecticut profile | $18.82 | $39,140 | $35,360 | $48,610 | 170 | 0.10 | 1.03 |
| 27 | Georgia profile | $18.47 | $38,430 | $29,700 | $47,130 | 600 | 0.12 | 1.30 |
| 28 | Kansas profile | $18.43 | $38,340 | $36,920 | $47,670 | 50 | 0.03 | 0.35 |
| 29 | North Carolina profile | $18.43 | $38,340 | $31,240 | $60,910 | 260 | 0.05 | 0.56 |
| 30 | Arizona profile | $18.22 | $37,900 | $36,400 | $53,690 | 370 | 0.11 | 1.21 |
| 31 | Arkansas profile | $18.02 | $37,490 | $30,580 | $54,870 | 90 | 0.07 | 0.72 |
| 32 | Texas profile | $17.81 | $37,040 | $30,180 | $57,500 | 1,380 | 0.10 | 1.04 |
| 33 | Florida profile | $17.71 | $36,830 | $31,610 | $46,020 | 170 | 0.02 | 0.18 |
| 34 | Nevada profile | $17.54 | $36,490 | $30,770 | $60,830 | 110 | 0.07 | 0.71 |
| 35 | Kentucky profile | $17.24 | $35,850 | $31,200 | $47,630 | 310 | 0.16 | 1.64 |
| 36 | New Mexico profile | $17.12 | $35,600 | $34,390 | $43,370 | 60 | 0.07 | 0.69 |
| 37 | Alabama profile | $16.87 | $35,090 | $26,620 | $104,180 | 140 | 0.07 | 0.71 |
| 38 | Mississippi profile | $16.48 | $34,280 | $32,420 | $49,200 | 90 | 0.08 | 0.86 |
| 39 | Idaho profile | $16.18 | $33,660 | $31,560 | $48,620 | ** | ** | ** |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-9190), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-9192 Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-9192, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9192.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.