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Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Build or repair equipment such as furnaces, kilns, cupolas, boilers, converters, ladles, soaking pits, and ovens, using refractory materials.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $61,290 Median per year · $29.47/hr Most earn $40,590–$86,510

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Reline or repair ladles and pouring spouts with refractory clay, using trowels.
  • Transfer clay structures to curing ovens, melting tanks, and drawing kilns, using forklifts.
  • Dry and bake new linings by placing inverted linings over burners, building fires in ladles, or by using blowtorches.
  • Climb scaffolding, carrying hoses, and spray surfaces of cupolas with refractory mixtures, using spray equipment.
  • Measure furnace walls to determine dimensions and cut required number of sheets from plastic block, using saws.
  • Spread mortar on stopper heads and rods, using trowels, and slide brick sleeves over rods to form refractory jackets.

Job outlook

United States
14% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing24.2%
  • Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (except automotive and electronic) repair and maintenance18.7%
  • Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing15.1%
  • Masonry contractors10.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 3 months

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 3 monthsEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma and a short stretch of on-the-job training, usually about 1 to 3 months of related experience before they're doing repairs on their own. Skills keep growing over the years after that.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with a focus on math, physical science, and shop or industrial classes, which give you the basics for working with heat-resistant materials and equipment.

  2. Masonry Helper

    1-3 months

    Work alongside experienced crews to mix materials, carry supplies, and learn how refractory linings are built and safely handled before you do the work yourself.

  3. Refractory Materials Repairer

    Ongoing, learned mostly on the job

    Build and repair furnaces, kilns, ovens, boilers, and ladles using refractory materials, building skill and judgment with each job.

Where it can lead

  1. Refractory Crew Lead

    3-5 years of experience first

    Direct a small team, plan the repair work, and check quality and safety on the job, which requires strong experience and reliable work habits.

  2. Brickmason

    1-2 years of experience first

    Some repairers move toward masonry work that uses similar skills with brick and block, which usually requires more training on masonry methods and layout.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take math and physical scienceAlgebra, geometry, chemistry, and physics help you understand heat, materials, and how equipment is built.
  • Join a shop or industrial arts classHands-on practice with tools, measuring, and blueprints builds the skills used in refractory repair.
  • Try a welding or metals classWelding and metalwork teach you how equipment is built and how to work safely around high heat.
  • Get a summer or part-time job at a job siteWork at a construction company, factory, or warehouse to learn teamwork, safety habits, and how industrial sites run.
  • Volunteer on a building or repair projectHelping with a community build or maintenance project gives you early experience with tools and materials.

In college

  • Take a community college industrial maintenance or masonry courseCourses in industrial maintenance, masonry, or materials give you a head start on the trade skills employers look for.
  • Earn an OSHA 10 or similar safety cardSafety training shows employers you understand the hazards of high heat and heavy equipment.
  • Get an internship or co-op at a plant or foundryWorking inside an industrial plant lets you see furnaces and refractory linings up close and build useful contacts.
  • Work a campus facilities or maintenance jobA maintenance job on campus builds practical repair experience and reliability that employers value.
  • Join a trade or engineering student clubClubs in welding, construction, or engineering help you learn from others and find out about local job openings.

Tips for getting started

  • Look for summer or part-time jobs at factories, steel mills, foundries, or construction sites, since hands-on exposure to furnaces and heavy industrial work is valuable.
  • Take shop, welding, or industrial maintenance classes if your school offers them, and ask about safety training like OSHA 10 that many employers like to see.
  • Check the career page for pay in your area, since it shows the typical range near you and across the country.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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