Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary: $41,230 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 154,820 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work nationally, and $41,230 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 17% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.5% annual growth.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: what the data shows
Common questions about molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4072.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 154,820 workers.
What does a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
BLS national median annual wage: $41,230 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $48,518 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,986 |
| 25th percentile | $39,592 |
| Median (50th) | $46,559 |
| 75th percentile | $51,576 |
| 90th percentile | $62,584 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.5% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 2.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 4.7%.
Current U.S. headcount: 154,820.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 154,820 | 21.0% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 153,670 | 20.8% |
| Manufacturing | 139,410 | 18.9% |
| Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 79,230 | 10.7% |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing | 76,460 | 10.4% |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | 15,810 | 2.1% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 31,510 | $41,600 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 159,500 | $47,590 |
| Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | 6,130 | $68,860 |
| Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 36,290 | $47,060 |
| Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 96,950 | $49,390 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workforce.
Employment Over Time
154,820 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic grew from 35,060 in 2009 to 37,760 in 2025 (7.7%).
Historical employment for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$41,230 Median pay (BLS national)
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn $41,230 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Salary distribution for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Employment Growth Projections
0.5% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
38,645 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 2.3%
39,552 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 4.7%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.5% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Wage Trends by Industry
8.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- IL: 13,180 employees, $44,290 avg wage
- MI: 12,920 employees, $41,500 avg wage
- OH: 12,710 employees, $43,430 avg wage
- CA: 9,650 employees, $47,290 avg wage
- WI: 9,320 employees, $45,660 avg wage
- IN: 8,430 employees, $44,400 avg wage
- TX: 7,750 employees, $39,950 avg wage
- NC: 7,410 employees, $43,620 avg wage
- PA: 6,890 employees, $46,120 avg wage
- AL: 6,200 employees, $39,000 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 10,170 employees, $44,640 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 4,450 employees, $42,410 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 3,940 employees, $47,830 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 3,300 employees, $42,040 avg wage
- Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI: 2,780 employees, $41,500 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 2,430 employees, $41,850 avg wage
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 2,410 employees, $47,910 avg wage
- Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: 2,270 employees, $44,820 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 2,190 employees, $47,770 avg wage
- Cleveland, OH: 2,100 employees, $42,930 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Diversity
Demographic information on Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is about 154,820 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic workers.
Education level distribution for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Skills
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Active Listening, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Reading Comprehension.
Required skills for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics, English Language, Administration and Management.
Knowledge areas required for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Control Precision, Multilimb Coordination, Perceptual Speed.
Required abilities for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
Daily Activities
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Handling and Moving Objects, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
About
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic earn $41,230 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
51-4072 - Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic reports an average salary of $48,518.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 154,820 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.5%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.