Installation, Maintenance & Repair
Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons
Also called: Cell Reliner, Cupola Repairer, Furnace Repairer, Hot Repairman
US median pay
$61,290
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
-13.7%
declining
Openings a year (US)
100
1,100 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Build or repair equipment such as furnaces, kilns, cupolas, boilers, converters, ladles, soaking pits, and ovens, using refractory materials.
What they do day to day
- Reline or repair ladles and pouring spouts with refractory clay, using trowels.
- Chip slag from linings of ladles or remove linings when beyond repair, using hammers and chisels.
- Mix specified amounts of sand, clay, mortar powder, and water to form refractory clay or mortar, using shovels or mixing machines.
- Measure furnace walls to determine dimensions and cut required number of sheets from plastic block, using saws.
- Dry and bake new linings by placing inverted linings over burners, building fires in ladles, or by using blowtorches.
- Remove worn or damaged plastic block refractory linings of furnaces, using hand tools.
- Climb scaffolding, carrying hoses, and spray surfaces of cupolas with refractory mixtures, using spray equipment.
- Spread mortar on stopper heads and rods, using trowels, and slide brick sleeves over rods to form refractory jackets.
- Dump and tamp clay in molds, using tamping tools.
- Transfer clay structures to curing ovens, melting tanks, and drawing kilns, using forklifts.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.2/5
- Repairing3.1/5
- Operation and Control3.0/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.0/5
- Troubleshooting2.9/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.8/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical3.5/5
- Production and Processing3.0/5
- Public Safety and Security2.7/5
- English Language2.7/5
- Mathematics2.6/5
- Chemistry2.5/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma75%
- Post-secondary certificate17%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.