Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 51-4192

Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

O*NET task statements lead this Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic: Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($79K) , Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4192 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills
  2. 2. Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, divi…
  3. 3. Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled
  4. 4. Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators
  5. 5. Plan and develop layouts from blueprints and templates, applying knowledge of trigonometry, design, effects of heat, and properties of me…
  6. 6. Lay out and fabricate metal structural parts such as plates, bulkheads, and frames
  7. 7. Install doors, hatches, brackets, and clips
  8. 8. Compute layout dimensions, and determine and mark reference points on metal stock or workpieces for further processing, such as welding a…
  9. 9. Brace parts in position within hulls or ships for riveting or welding
  10. 10. Lift and position workpieces in relation to surface plates, manually or with hoists, and using parallel blocks and angle plates
  11. 11. Inspect machined parts to verify conformance to specifications
  12. 12. Add dimensional details to blueprints or drawings made by other workers

Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic: O*NET ranks Mathematics first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4192 - lead skill Mathematics at 3.1 ; lead knowledge Mathematics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Mathematics 3.1
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.0
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.0
  5. 5. Complex Problem Solving 3.0
  6. 6. Operations Monitoring 3.0
  7. 7. Quality Control Analysis 3.0
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mathematics 4.1
  2. 2. Design 3.8
  3. 3. Mechanical 3.5
  4. 4. Production and Processing 3.4
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 3.3
  6. 6. English Language 3.3
National median after O*NET task lead
$63,870
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills
$64K
National median
↓ -5%
Growth 2024-2034
500
Annual openings
5,970
Estimated US jobs
Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Highest-pay peer · $107K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

1. Massachusetts $63,880
2. Washington $85,300
3. Virginia $70,260
4. Maine $74,530
5. Hawaii $87,570
6. Kansas $79,240
7. Michigan $61,550
8. Oregon $75,020
9. California $74,490
10. New York $62,700

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  2. 2. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  3. 3. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  4. 4. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  5. 5. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  6. 6. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4192). The national OEWS median is $63,870 inside Production Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers. Lead published task: Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills.

Employment Projections expect -5% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Massachusetts at $63,880. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Distributors and Dispatchers at $106,730. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #12 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #12, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 51-4192 · national median $63,870 · upper third of Production Occupations (#12/105). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4192

Massachusetts · top state for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

$64K published median

Washington · #2 state pay

$85K · behind Massachusetts

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Highest-pay peer vs Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic · $107K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic · $62K

Compare Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Production Occupations titles sit near Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic at the top of the pay table? ▼
Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #12 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Tool and Die Makers ($64K), Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K), Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K), Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do layout workers, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Mark curves, lines, holes, dimensions, and welding symbols onto workpieces, using scribes, soapstones, punches, and hand drills; Plan locations and sequences of cutting, drilling, bending, rolling, punching, and welding operations, using compasses, protractors, divi…; Fit and align fabricated parts to be welded or assembled; Locate center lines and verify template positions, using measuring instruments such as gauge blocks, height gauges, and dial indicators. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for layout workers, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4192, O*NET importance scores lead with Mathematics (3.1), Reading Comprehension (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0), Monitoring (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Mathematics, Design, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $63,870 as the national median for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $39,980 to $93,860. Beside Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($106,730), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic is -5%. Projected annual openings: about 500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Massachusetts ($63,880), Washington ($85,300), Virginia ($70,260) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4192. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics