Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 51-4061

Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

The published band from $39,760 to $99,010 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Gas Plant Operators.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Model Makers, Metal and Plastic: Gas Plant Operators ($88K) , Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators ($60K) , Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic ($64K) , Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($79K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Model Makers, Metal and Plastic publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4061 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Study blueprints, drawings, and sketches to determine material dimensions, required equipment, and operations sequences
  2. 2. Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, drill presses, punch presses, or bandsaws, to fabricate prototypes or models
  3. 3. Program computer numerical control (CNC) machines to fabricate model parts
  4. 4. Inspect and test products to verify conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments or circuit testers
  5. 5. Cut, shape, and form metal parts, using lathes, power saws, snips, power brakes and shears, files, and mallets
  6. 6. Rework or alter component model or parts as required to ensure that products meet standards
  7. 7. Drill, countersink, and ream holes in parts and assemblies for bolts, screws, and other fasteners, using power tools
  8. 8. Grind, file, and sand parts to finished dimensions
  9. 9. Devise and construct tools, dies, molds, jigs, and fixtures, or modify existing tools and equipment
  10. 10. Record specifications, production operations, and final dimensions of models for use in establishing operating standards and procedures
  11. 11. Align, fit, and join parts, using bolts and screws or by welding or gluing
  12. 12. Use computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software or hardware to fabricate model parts

Model Makers, Metal and Plastic: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4061 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.6 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.6
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.5
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.3
  4. 4. Quality Control Analysis 3.3
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.1
  6. 6. Equipment Selection 3.0
  7. 7. Troubleshooting 3.0
  8. 8. Judgment and Decision Making 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 4.3
  2. 2. Mathematics 4.0
  3. 3. Production and Processing 3.9
  4. 4. Design 3.9
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 3.8
  6. 6. Computers and Electronics 2.9
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$39,760 to $99,010
median $63,340 · ~2.5× spread
$63K
National median
↓ -18%
Growth 2024-2034
300
Annual openings
2,610
Estimated US jobs
Gas Plant Operators
Highest-pay peer · $88K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

1. Massachusetts $67,830
2. California $92,960
3. Florida $79,930
4. New Jersey $72,340
5. Ohio $60,880
6. New York $77,710
7. Illinois $68,890
8. Indiana $62,620
9. Texas $65,920
10. Iowa $61,550

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
  2. 2. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  3. 3. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  4. 4. Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators $60,020
  5. 5. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  6. 6. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120

The OEWS band for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic runs from $39,760 (10th) to $99,010 (90th), about 2.5× wide, with median $63,340. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect -18% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 300 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 $67,830. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Gas Plant Operators at $87,820. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Model Makers, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #13 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #13, 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.

The 10th-to-90th percentile spread for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic is unusually wide, so the state map and peer comparison carry more signal than the median alone.

Model Makers, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4061

Massachusetts · top state for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

$68K published median

California · #2 state pay

$93K · behind Massachusetts

Gas Plant Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Model Makers, Metal and Plastic · $88K

Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators

Lower-pay peer beside Model Makers, Metal and Plastic · $60K

Compare Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

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

Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Production Occupations titles sit near Model Makers, Metal and Plastic at the top of the pay table? ▼
Model Makers, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #13 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic ($64K), Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K), Tool and Die Makers ($64K), Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do model makers, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Study blueprints, drawings, and sketches to determine material dimensions, required equipment, and operations sequences; Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, drill presses, punch presses, or bandsaws, to fabricate prototypes or models; Program computer numerical control (CNC) machines to fabricate model parts; Inspect and test products to verify conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments or circuit testers. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for model makers, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4061, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.6), Operations Monitoring (3.5), Critical Thinking (3.3), Quality Control Analysis (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Mathematics, Production and Processing. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How wide is the published pay band for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic? ▼
OEWS places the 10th percentile at $39,760 and the 90th at $99,010 for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic (2.5× spread). The national median is $63,340. OEWS does not isolate experience, employer, or geography as the cause of that spread.
What employment change does BLS publish for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic is -18%. Projected annual openings: about 300. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Model Makers, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Massachusetts ($67,830), California ($92,960), Florida ($79,930) 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 Model Makers, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4061. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Model Makers, 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