Tool and Die Makers
ManufacturingO*NET 51-4111.00United States
Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists' hand tools.
- Median annual earnings
- $63,966
- Projected change
- −7.6%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 59.06K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
49.3% of the workforce
Growing to 54.59K by 2035
Explore this career by location
Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.
Showing United States
Loading available locations…
Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
Loading related ASU learning
The work
What tool and die makers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators.
- Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
- Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
- Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
- Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.
- Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools, hand tools, or welders.
- Select metals to be used from a range of metals and alloys, based on properties such as hardness or heat tolerance.
- File, grind, shim, and adjust different parts to properly fit them together.
- Lift, position, and secure machined parts on surface plates or worktables, using hoists, vises, v-blocks, or angle plates.
- Smooth and polish flat and contoured surfaces of parts or tools, using scrapers, abrasive stones, files, emery cloths, or power grinders.
- Measure, mark, and scribe metal or plastic stock to lay out machining, using instruments such as protractors, micrometers, scribes, or rulers.
- Conduct test runs with completed tools or dies to ensure that parts meet specifications, making adjustments as necessary.
- Design jigs, fixtures, and templates for use as work aids in the fabrication of parts or products.
- Cut, shape, and trim blanks or blocks to specified lengths or shapes, using power saws, power shears, rules, and hand tools.
- Set up and operate drill presses to drill and tap holes in parts for assembly.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $43,973
- 25th percentile
- $50,949
- 50th percentile
- $63,966
- 75th percentile
- $78,722
- 90th percentile
- $92,858
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $63,966 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−7.6%projected to decline
202559,062 jobs
2035 projected54,594 jobs
4,468 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
- 49.3%
- Certificate
- 40.8%
- Associate degree
- 9.9%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- 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.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Tool and Die Makers1,907 postings
- 02Toolmakers1,344 postings
- 03CNC Machinists451 postings
- 04Tooling Technicians356 postings
- 05Tool and Die Technicians253 postings
- 06Die Makers219 postings
- 07Travel Radiology Technicians212 postings
- 08Tool Crib Attendants210 postings
- 09Tool and Die Machinists163 postings
- 10Die Setters153 postings
- 11Journeyman Tool and Die Makers114 postings
- 12Tool Room Technicians113 postings
- 13Composite Technicians98 postings
- 14Tool Room Machinists98 postings
- 15Tool and Die Managers95 postings
- 16Model Makers93 postings
- 17Technicians92 postings
- 18Tooling Specialists89 postings
- 19Tool Room Managers86 postings
- 20Tool and Die Apprentices81 postings
Top employers
- 01Aerotek271 postings
- 02Anders Group225 postings
- 03National Staffing Solutions190 postings
- 04Health Advocates Network142 postings
- 05CompHealth132 postings
- 06Howmet Aerospace97 postings
- 07Randstad94 postings
- 08ManpowerGroup79 postings
- 09General Motors74 postings
- 10Magna International67 postings
- 11Pediatrix Medical Group65 postings
- 12Adecco64 postings
- 13GPAC58 postings
- 14HealthTrust Workforce Solutions58 postings
- 15Kaiser Permanente57 postings
- 16Accelera55 postings
- 17Boeing55 postings
- 18Express Employment Professionals51 postings
- 19Nesco Resource46 postings
- 20Staffmark42 postings
Keep looking
Related careers
Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
- Median pay
- $46,467
- Employment outlook
- +0.5%
Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers
- Median pay
- $65,331
- Employment outlook
- −7.4%
Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
- Median pay
- $68,507
- Employment outlook
- −2.3%
Appraisers of Personal and Business Property
- Median pay
- $68,507
- Employment outlook
- −2.3%