Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work in a sizable national occupation with about 155,000 jobs. The role focuses on operating and tending specialized equipment used in molding and casting processes, and it draws on a mix of physical, technical, and analytical abilities. A national median salary of $41,230 offers a stable earning baseline, with higher pay available in certain states and metro areas. Although projected employment growth is -3.8%, there are still an estimated 16,000 annual openings, reflecting ongoing replacement needs as workers change jobs or retire. People considering this path typically enter with a high school diploma or equivalent and then build job-specific expertise over time. Strong physical strength and stamina, mechanical skills, and attention to detail are important, supported by reading, writing, math, and critical thinking abilities. For those interested in hands-on, machinery-focused work, this occupation can be a solid entry into metal and plastic manufacturing environments.
The national median annual salary for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $41,230. Earnings vary by location, and several states offer higher median pay. Among the top CareerGPS states, Washington reports a median salary of $48,290, Colorado $48,200, and California $47,240, all above the national median for this occupation. New York and Massachusetts fall closer to the national level, at $44,500 and $42,570 respectively. Metro-level data show even higher median salaries in some areas. The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro stands out at $56,130, with San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $52,810 and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA at $47,960. These figures indicate that workers willing to pursue opportunities in certain metro areas or higher-paying states may access stronger earning potential than the national median suggests.
Nationally, molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic account for about 155,000 jobs. The occupation’s projected employment growth is -3.8%, indicating a modest decline over the projection period. Despite this negative growth rate, the occupation is expected to have about 16,000 annual openings. These openings can come from workers leaving the occupation, retiring, or moving to other roles, which continues to create entry points for new or transitioning workers. For career planners, this combination means that while the total number of positions may gradually shrink, ongoing hiring needs still exist. Individuals may want to pay attention to regional patterns, as states and metros differ in employment levels and opportunity scores. The presence of similar occupations—such as heat treating equipment setters or adhesive bonding machine operators—also suggests alternative machine-focused career paths for those who want to remain in related fields if job availability changes over time.
Location plays a major role in opportunity for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Among states, California leads CareerGPS rankings with an opportunity score of 67.38, a median salary of $47,240, and employment of 9,250. Massachusetts (score 65.87) and New York (65.78) follow, with median salaries of $42,570 and $44,500 and employment of 3,810 and 3,320 respectively. Colorado and Washington also rank strongly, with opportunity scores around the mid‑50s and median salaries slightly above $48,000. At the metro level, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area ranks highest with an opportunity score of 77.42 and the top median salary of $56,130, though with relatively small employment of 210. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro has a similarly high opportunity score of 77.27 and much larger employment of 2,490. Other strong metros include San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA; Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH; and Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, each balancing different mixes of salary, employment size, and opportunity score.
The typical education requirement for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field relatively accessible for people who want to enter the workforce without pursuing a longer postsecondary program. While formal education requirements are modest, success in the role depends on a broad mix of skills. Physical strength and stamina are important, because the work can involve extended periods of standing or manual tasks. Mechanical and fine motor skills support working with machinery and equipment. Science and mathematics abilities help with understanding processes and basic measurements. Being detail oriented, along with strong writing and reading skills, contributes to following instructions and documenting work accurately. Critical and analytical thinking and leadership skills can aid in problem-solving and guiding small teams or tasks. Comfort with computers and information technology is also valuable as equipment and processes increasingly rely on digital systems.
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