State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn a median of $44,350 per year ($21.32/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to fall 3.8% through 2034, with about 15,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 51-4072ProductionLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $44,350
- Projected growth
- -3.8%
- Openings a year
- 15,900
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: Core Machine Operator, Die Cast Technician, Diecast Machine Operator, Machine Operator, Mold Setter, Mold Technician.
How much do Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
10th percentile$34,170
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$37,270
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$44,350
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$51,020
Upper quartile
90th percentile$61,600
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $44,350 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $21.32/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $45,960 |
| People employed | 150,470 |
Versus all US occupations
At $44,350, Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn 13% below the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $6,630 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $47,920, this is 7% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $61,600 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,170, a gap of 1.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 16% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Hawaii pays the most at $77,560, and still leads at $70,541 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $77,560 | $70,541 | 140 |
| Maryland | $63,460 | $60,462 | 230 |
| Maine | $59,230 | $61,030 | 470 |
| Minnesota | $49,590 | $50,283 | 2,230 |
| Nevada | $49,590 | $49,600 | 350 |
| Nebraska | $48,500 | $53,827 | 1,000 |
| Washington | $48,290 | $45,125 | 1,800 |
| Colorado | $48,200 | $46,773 | 2,160 |
| North Dakota | $47,780 | $53,710 | 160 |
| New Hampshire | $47,610 | $45,706 | 1,080 |
Is Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career?
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-3.8%
All US occupations3.1%
-3.8% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Declining
BLS projects employment of Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic to change -3.8% over 2024–2034, while total US employment is projected to rise 3.1%. That is 5,800 fewer jobs.
Annual openings
About 15,900 openings are projected each year, 10.3% of the 154,600 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of metal and plastic machine workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2024 to 2034, decline.
Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Projected employment of metal and plastic machine workers varies by occupation (see table).
One of the most important factors influencing employment of these workers is the use of laborsaving machinery. Many firms are continuing to expand the use of technologies, such as computer numerically controlled (CNC) tools and robots, to improve quality and lower production costs. The use of CNC equipment requires CNC tool programmers instead of machine setters, operators, and tenders. Therefore, demand for most manual tool operators and tenders is likely to be reduced, while demand for CNC tool programmers is expected to be strong.
How to become a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic
Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary education.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Moderate-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.
- High School Diploma57.0%
- Less than a High School Diploma30.3%
- Post-Secondary Certificate11.2%
- Some College Courses1.6%
What does a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic do?
Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces.
Day-to-day tasks
- Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary.
- Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
- Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times.
- Remove parts, such as dies, from machines after production runs are finished.
- Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times.
- Read specifications, blueprints, and work orders to determine setups, temperatures, and time settings required to mold, form, or cast plastic materials, as well as to plan production sequences.
- Perform maintenance work such as cleaning and oiling machines.
- Connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.3/5
- Reading Comprehension3.1/5
- Monitoring3.1/5
- Speaking3.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Active Learning2.9/5
- Writing2.6/5
- Mathematics2.3/5
Transferable skills
- Operations Monitoring3.4/5
- Operation and Control3.1/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Troubleshooting2.9/5
- Repairing2.9/5
- Complex Problem Solving2.8/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Analytical or scientific software
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
- Industrial control software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative2.3
Artistic1.4
Social1.1
Enterprising1.1
Conventionalprimary4.3
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic: frequently asked questions
How much do Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn a median of $44,350 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 13% below the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $21.32/hr. The middle half earn between $37,270 and $51,020. The top 10% earn $61,600 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 57.0% hold high school diploma.
Is Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career?
No. BLS projects employment to fall 3.8% over 2024–2034, a loss of 5,800 jobs (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 15,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic do?
Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces. A core O*NET task: observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic the most?
The highest state medians for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic are Hawaii ($77,560), Maryland ($63,460), Maine ($59,230) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic?
O*NET scores Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.