Explore a possible path

Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders

Operate or tend machines to wash or clean products, such as barrels or kegs, glass items, tin plate, food, pulp, coal, plastic, or rubber, to remove impurities.

How does this connect to your interests? →

A look at the work

  • Add specified amounts of chemicals to equipment at required times to maintain solution levels and concentrations.
  • Observe machine operations, gauges, or thermometers, and adjust controls to maintain specified conditions.
  • Set controls to regulate temperature and length of cycles, and start conveyors, pumps, agitators, and machines.
  • Drain, clean, and refill machines or tanks at designated intervals, using cleaning solutions or water.
  • Operate or tend machines to wash and remove impurities from items such as barrels or kegs, glass products, tin plate surfaces, dried fruit, pulp, animal stock, coal, manufactured articles, plastic, or rubber.
  • Record gauge readings, materials used, processing times, or test results in production logs.
  • Examine and inspect machines to detect malfunctions.
  • Measure, weigh, or mix cleaning solutions, using measuring tanks, calibrated rods or suction tubes.

A selection of source-listed tasks; duties vary by role and employer.

Interests involved in this work

These source scores describe occupational work activities. They are separate from your personal test results.

Hands-on

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

7.0 / 7

Investigative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.7 / 7

Creative

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.0 / 7

Helping people

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.0 / 7

Enterprising

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

1.0 / 7

Organizing

2026-02 · Machine Learning/Expert

4.4 / 7

Skills to explore

Source-reported importance on a 1–5 scale. Try a course, project or conversation to learn what these skills involve.

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

2017-07

3.3 / 5

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

2017-07

3.1 / 5

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

2017-07

2.9 / 5

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

2017-07

2.9 / 5

Time Management

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

2017-07

2.9 / 5

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

2017-07

2.9 / 5

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

2017-07

2.9 / 5

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

2017-07

2.8 / 5

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

2017-07

2.8 / 5

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

2017-07

2.8 / 5

Plan a small next step

Talk to someone doing this work, look for a supervised activity, and explore the subjects that interest you. Admission, licensing and current program requirements should be confirmed with the relevant institutions.

Source preparation category: Job Zone 2 of 5 · 2026-02. This category describes typical preparation, not your eligibility.

Source & methodology

O*NET-SOC code 51-9192.00 · Database 31.0 · Retrieved Oct 14, 2026. Dates on individual observations describe their source periods.

How interest exploration matching works →

Data: O*NET® 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Used under CC BY 4.0. StudyIndex normalizes the presentation and adds exploration features; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these additions.