Career
Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons
Repair the heat-resistant linings of furnaces and kilns.
$61,290
Median pay
-13.7%
Job growth, 2025–35
100
Openings a year
High school diploma or equivalent
Typical education
None required
Typical time after high school
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Reline or repair ladles and pouring spouts with refractory clay, using trowels.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operations Monitoring, Repairing, Active Listening, Equipment Maintenance.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $61,290 a year and 100 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Industrial Mechanics and Maintenance Technology/TechnicianCIP 47.0303
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Brickmasons and Blockmasons$62,120 · +1.1%
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$46,170 · +5.8%
- Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters$47,550 · -11.7%
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers$48,110 · -23.0%
- Terrazzo Workers and Finishers$76,170 · -13.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.