SOC 51-4072.00

    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.

    Median pay
    $44,350
    Growth
    -3.4%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    13,800
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

    See the pathway

    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $34,170
    Median
    $44,350
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $61,600
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    150,470 people work in this occupation.

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

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

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

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    21 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    6 / 100
    Social (S)
    1 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    1 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    55 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Controlling Machines and Processes
    89
    Handling and Moving Objects
    78
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    71
    Getting Information
    71
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    68
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    68
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    67
    Performing General Physical Activities
    63
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    63
    Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
    57
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
    • Active Listening
    • Monitoring
    • Operation and Control
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Critical Thinking
    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Speaking
    • Time Management
    • Active Learning

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing
    • Mechanical
    • Mathematics
    • English Language
    • Administration and Management
    • Physics
    • Computers and Electronics
    • Engineering and Technology
    • Education and Training
    • Customer and Personal Service

    Abilities

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Control Precision
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Deductive Reasoning
    • Information Ordering
    • Near Vision
    • Perceptual Speed
    • Category Flexibility
    • Finger Dexterity

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Perseverance
    • Integrity
    • Self-Control
    • Adaptability
    • Self-Confidence

    Also called

    Aluminum Molder · Aluminum Molding Machine Operator · Automatic Casting Machine Operator · Babbitt Spinner · Babbitter · Bench Molder · Bender Machine Operator · Bit Bender · Blaster · Blow Mold Operator

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Your plan

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    Courses, majors, colleges, scholarships and a timeline for this career, built from your profile.

    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.