Production
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$44,350USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$21.32USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,170 | $16.43 |
| 25th | $37,270 | $17.92 |
| 50th · Median | $44,350 | $21.32 |
| 75th | $51,020 | $24.53 |
| 90th | $61,600 | $29.62 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
Aluminum MolderAluminum Molding Machine OperatorAutomatic Casting Machine OperatorBabbitt SpinnerBabbitterBench MolderBender Machine OperatorBit BenderBlasterBlow Mold OperatorBlow Molding Machine TenderBlow Molding Operator
Expand more title examples (48)
Bonding Machine OperatorBrake Drum MolderBrass MolderBullet Casting OperatorBullet-Slug Casting Machine OperatorCake-Press OperatorCast AssociateCasterCaster OperatorCasting Machine OperatorCasting Machine Set-Up OperatorCasting MolderCasting OperatorCasting Room OperatorCasting Wheel OperatorCentrifugal Casting Machine OperatorCentrifugal Casting Machine TenderComposite TechnicianCompression Molding Machine OperatorCompression Molding Machine SetterCompression Molding Machine TenderCompression OperatorContact Lens MolderCore BlowerCore CarrierCore FilerCore FitterCore Machine OperatorCore MounterCore PlacerCoremaking Machine SetterCorrugatorCorrugator OperatorDiamond BlenderDie Cast TechnicianDie CasterDie Casting Machine OperatorDie Casting Machine SetterDie Maintenance Technician (Die Maintenance Tech)Diecast Machine OperatorDirect Chill Casting Operator (DC Casting Operator)Eight Arm OperatorFlask FitterFlask MakerFoundry Pattern MolderGrey Iron MolderHand BenderHopper Operator
Typical tasks
- 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.
Expand more tasks (23)
- 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.
- Operate hoists to position dies or patterns on foundry floors.
- Cool products after processing to prevent distortion.
- Install dies onto machines or presses and coat dies with parting agents, according to work order specifications.
- Unload finished products from conveyor belts, pack them in containers, and place containers in warehouses.
- Remove finished or cured products from dies or molds, using hand tools, air hoses, and other equipment, stamping identifying information on products when necessary.
- Obtain and move specified patterns to work stations, manually or using hoists, and secure patterns to machines, using wrenches.
- Select and install blades, tools, or other attachments for each operation.
- Repair or replace damaged molds, pipes, belts, chains, or other equipment, using hand tools, hand-powered presses, or jib cranes.
- Inventory and record quantities of materials and finished products, requisitioning additional supplies as necessary.
- Select coolants and lubricants, and start their flow.
- Adjust equipment and workpiece holding fixtures, such as mold frames, tubs, and cutting tables, to ensure proper functioning.
- Maintain inventories of materials.
- Position and secure workpieces on machines, and start feeding mechanisms.
- Trim excess material from parts, using knives, and grind scrap plastic into powder for reuse.
- Mix and measure compounds, or weigh premixed compounds, and dump them into machine tubs, cavities, or molds.
- Spray, smoke, or coat molds with compounds to lubricate or insulate molds, using acetylene torches or sprayers.
- Preheat tools, dies, plastic materials, or patterns, using blowtorches or other equipment.
- Pour or load metal or sand into melting pots, furnaces, molds, or hoppers, using shovels, ladles, or machines.
- Skim or pour dross, slag, or impurities from molten metal, using ladles, rakes, hoes, spatulas, or spoons.
Skills used in this work
- 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.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Expand more skills (29)
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- 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.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- 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.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
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