How much do Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders make in Wichita, KS?

Percentile spread

For Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders, the published 10th percentile is $36,470 and the 90th percentile is $69,740. The difference is $33,270, which is 57.7% of the median. Ten percent of measured wages fall below the 10th percentile and ten percent fall above the 90th. How to read a percentile.

The middle half of the distribution, from the 25th percentile at $44,200 to the 75th at $60,900, covers $16,700.

The mean annual wage is $54,250, which sits below the median of $57,650. Median and mean measure different points in the same distribution.

National and state comparison

The Wichita, KS median is 20% higher than the national median of $48,040 for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders. In 2024 national prices the local median is $64,815, which is 34.9% higher than that same national median. The national figure is already in national prices because the United States parity is 100.

It is 7.5% lower than the Kansas median of $62,350.

Price-adjusted pay

The 2024 all-items regional price parity for Wichita, KS is 88.946, with the United States at 100. The Bureau of Economic Analysis released those parities on February 19, 2026. Dividing the May 2025 median of $57,650 by that parity and multiplying by 100 puts Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders at $64,815 in national prices. The wage year and the price year are different. Compare this wage after prices.

Nearby metros

2 other metropolitan areas within 200 miles publish a annual median for Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders. Wichita, KS ranks 1st of 3 on that median, counting itself. Distance is the great-circle mileage between Census Bureau internal points (U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files, Core Based Statistical Areas, internal points (INTPTLAT, INTPTLONG).).

• Tulsa, OK is 112 miles away, with a median of $44,340 and employment of 110. That median is 23.1% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $49,701, against $64,815 here.
• Oklahoma City, OK is 153 miles away, with a median of $34,640 and employment of 90. That median is 39.9% lower than the median here. In 2024 national prices it is $38,315, against $64,815 here.

Employment share

Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders accounts for 0.02% of wage-and-salary employment in Wichita, KS (50 of 308,570). Nationally the occupation is 0.01% of employment (14,280 of 155,495,730). The local share is 1.76 times the national share. That ratio is the location quotient computed from these May 2025 employment counts. It is not copied from the location-quotient column in the BLS bulk file.