# Foundry Mold and Coremakers

> Make or form wax or sand cores or molds used in the production of metal castings in foundries.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/foundry-mold-and-coremakers
- SOC code: 51-4071.00
- Career family: Production
- Median annual pay: $48,110 (10th percentile $37,160, 90th percentile $62,640)
- Projected growth: Decline, -23.0%
- Openings a year: 800
- Typical entry education: High school diploma
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

## Interest profile (code RCI)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 97 |
| Investigative (I) | 21 |
| Artistic (A) | 19 |
| Social (S) | 1 |
| Enterprising (E) | 0 |
| Conventional (C) | 42 |

## What you'd do

- Handling and Moving Objects (importance 85/100)
- Performing General Physical Activities (importance 82/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 70/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 69/100)
- Getting Information (importance 68/100)
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events (importance 68/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 66/100)
- Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People (importance 64/100)
- Controlling Machines and Processes (importance 63/100)
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards (importance 57/100)

## Skills

Monitoring, Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Time Management, Complex Problem Solving, Judgment and Decision Making, Operation and Control, Speaking, Active Learning

## Knowledge

English Language, Mechanical, Education and Training, Production and Processing, Administration and Management, Physics, Design, Engineering and Technology, Chemistry, Public Safety and Security

## Also called

Airset Caster, Airset Molder, Bond Runner, Core Baker, Core Drier, Core Machine Operator, Core Maker, Core Microarchitect, Core Oven Tender, Core Paster

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Precision Metal Working](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/4805) (CIP 4805, 746 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [Ferris State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ferris-state-university-949) | Precision Metal Working | not reported | $86,941 | $12,000 |
| [Del Mar College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/del-mar-college-782) | Precision Metal Working | $41,304 | $79,303 | not reported |
| [Hennepin Technical College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/hennepin-technical-college-1182) | Precision Metal Working | $68,632 | $76,020 | $11,033 |
| [Des Moines Area Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/des-moines-area-community-college-797) | Precision Metal Working | $65,355 | $75,145 | not reported |
| [Ivy Tech Community College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/ivy-tech-community-college-1314) | Precision Metal Working | $69,427 | $75,002 | $5,900 |
| [Dunwoody College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/dunwoody-college-of-technology-838) | Precision Metal Working | $60,388 | $70,886 | $12,000 |
| [Pennsylvania College of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/pennsylvania-college-of-technology-2096) | Precision Metal Working | $63,054 | $70,298 | $19,500 |
| [Austin Community College District](https://www.collegesref.com/college/austin-community-college-district-152) | Precision Metal Working | $46,036 | $69,185 | not reported |

## Related careers

- [Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/molders-shapers-and-casters-except-metal-and-plastic): $46,170 median pay
- [Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/molding-coremaking-and-casting-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders-metal-and-plastic): $44,350 median pay
- [Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/fiberglass-laminators-and-fabricators): $46,880 median pay
- [Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/grinding-and-polishing-workers-hand): $42,660 median pay
- [Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/refractory-materials-repairers-except-brickmasons): $61,290 median pay
- [Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/extruding-forming-pressing-and-compacting-machine-setters-operators-and-tenders): $45,760 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.