Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-9045
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 49-9045 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 57/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $61,290
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 100
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -16.9%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 125 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Build or repair equipment such as furnaces, kilns, cupolas, boilers, converters, ladles, soaking pits, and ovens, using refractory materials.
Common titles: Cell Reliner, Cupola Repairer, Furnace Repairer, Hot Repairman, Ladle Liner, Ladle Repairman
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Cut materials according to specifications or needs.
- •Measure distances or dimensions.
- •Repair worn, damaged, or defective mechanical parts.
- •Fabricate parts or components.
- •Repair structural components.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 1.6% |
| Outlook | Average | 24% Bright |
| Median Salary | $61,290 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |