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Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

ManufacturingO*NET 51-4072.00United States

Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$44,365

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
−1%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

87.3% of the workforce

Employment
151.59K jobs

Growing to 150.14K by 2035

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

What molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
  • Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary.
  • Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
  • Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set 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.
  • Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times.
  • Connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools.
  • Remove parts, such as dies, from machines after production runs are finished.
  • Perform maintenance work such as cleaning and oiling machines.
  • Smooth and clean inner surfaces of molds, using brushes, scrapers, air hoses, or grinding wheels, and fill imperfections with refractory material.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$34,095
25th percentile
$37,199
50th percentile
$44,365
75th percentile
$51,106
90th percentile
$62,108

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $44,365 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−1%projected to decline
2025151,589 jobs
2035 projected150,136 jobs

1,453 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
87.3%
Certificate
11.2%
Some college
1.6%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Machine Operation
  • Molding (Manufacturing Process)
  • Lifting Ability
  • Machinery
  • Injection Molding Machines
  • Hand Tools
  • Injection Molding
  • Safety Procedures
  • General Mathematics
  • Housekeeping
  • Packaging And Labeling
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Mechanical Aptitude
  • Plastic Materials
  • Casting
  • Good Manufacturing Practices
  • Safety Standards
  • Continuous Improvement Process
  • Machine Setup
  • Warehousing

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
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.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Repairing
Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Active Learning
Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Learning Strategies
Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Mathematics
Using mathematics to solve problems.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Molding Machine Operators194 postings
  2. 02Casting Machine Operators18 postings
  3. 03General Labor/Machine Operators5 postings
  4. 04Injection Molding Machine Operators5 postings
  5. 05Compression Molding Machine Operators2 postings
  6. 06Extrusion Machine Operators2 postings
  7. 07Molders1 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Amcor17 postings
  2. 02Aerotek15 postings
  3. 03Kelly Services15 postings
  4. 04Vaupell8 postings
  5. 05Adecco6 postings
  6. 06ManpowerGroup6 postings
  7. 07Otto Engineering6 postings
  8. 08Vaupell Industrial Plastics6 postings
  9. 09Apex Aluminum Die Casting5 postings
  10. 10BD5 postings
  11. 11Metalcraft Of Mayville5 postings
  12. 12Spherion Staffing5 postings
  13. 13Airclean Systems4 postings
  14. 14Royal Technologies Corp.4 postings
  15. 15Surge Staffing4 postings
  16. 16Berry Global3 postings
  17. 17EmployBridge3 postings
  18. 18Molded Dimensions3 postings
  19. 19Polytainers3 postings
  20. 20Positronic Industries3 postings

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