Occupation overview

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders is $43,530, or $20.93 per hour. About 14,760 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $64,610 in Maine to $33,660 in Idaho.

Median annual
$43,530
Median hourly
$20.93
Entry level (P10)
$33,790
Top 10% (P90)
$58,570
Employment
14,760
States covered
39

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$33,790
$37,310
$43,530
$49,320
$33,790$43,530$58,570
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $43,530.

Salary by state

All 39 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1Maine$64,610$31.06400.72
2Wisconsin$54,290$26.103101.10
3Oregon$49,130$23.62700.35
4North Dakota$48,240$23.19601.55
5Pennsylvania$48,000$23.083700.64
6New Hampshire$47,510$22.841201.77
7Iowa$46,970$22.584302.89
8New York$46,290$22.267100.77
9Nebraska$45,690$21.974004.15
10Washington$45,600$21.921800.55
11Ohio$45,470$21.861,0101.91
12Virginia$45,330$21.791400.37
13California$45,150$21.712,4501.42
14South Dakota$44,770$21.53601.48
15Michigan$44,400$21.358201.97
16Indiana$43,820$21.078302.74
17Illinois$43,740$21.03700.12
18New Jersey$43,600$20.965901.44
19Massachusetts$43,210$20.773801.09
20Minnesota$42,600$20.48700.25
21Tennessee$41,110$19.771200.39
22Oklahoma$40,950$19.694502.79
23Missouri$40,510$19.482000.71
24Utah$39,970$19.211200.72
25South Carolina$39,240$18.873201.49
26Connecticut$39,140$18.821701.03
27Georgia$38,430$18.476001.30
28North Carolina$38,340$18.432600.56
29Kansas$38,340$18.43500.35
30Arizona$37,900$18.223701.21
31Arkansas$37,490$18.02900.72
32Texas$37,040$17.811,3801.04
33Florida$36,830$17.711700.18
34Nevada$36,490$17.541100.71
35Kentucky$35,850$17.243101.64
36New Mexico$35,600$17.12600.69
37Alabama$35,090$16.871400.71
38Mississippi$34,280$16.48900.86
39Idaho$33,660$16.18——

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders make?

The median annual wage for cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders in the United States is $43,530, or $20.93 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $33,790, and the top 10% earn $58,570.

How many cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders are employed in the U.S.?

About 14,760 people work as cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders nationwide.

Which state pays cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders the most?

Maine pays the most at a median of $64,610, followed by Wisconsin ($54,290) and Oregon ($49,130).

Which state pays cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders the least?

Idaho has the lowest median at $33,660.

Where are cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Nebraska at 4.15×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes