Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4072

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Median pay sits 40% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Plant Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Chemical Plant and System Operators, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4072 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measurin…
  2. 2. Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making…
  3. 3. Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products
  4. 4. Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times
  5. 5. Read specifications, blueprints, and work orders to determine setups, temperatures, and time settings required to mold, form, or cast pla…
  6. 6. Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times
  7. 7. Connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools
  8. 8. Remove parts, such as dies, from machines after production runs are finished
  9. 9. Operate hoists to position dies or patterns on foundry floors
  10. 10. Cool products after processing to prevent distortion
  11. 11. Install dies onto machines or presses and coat dies with parting agents, according to work order specifications
  12. 12. Unload finished products from conveyor belts, pack them in containers, and place containers in warehouses

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4072 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.4
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.3
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Operation and Control 3.1
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.0
  8. 8. Quality Control Analysis 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.5
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.5
  3. 3. Mathematics 3.1
  4. 4. English Language 2.9
  5. 5. Administration and Management 2.5
  6. 6. Physics 2.5
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-40%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $44,350/yr
$44K
National median
↓ -4%
Growth 2024-2034
15,900
Annual openings
150,470
Estimated US jobs
Power Plant Operators
Highest-pay peer · $102K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

1. Nevada $49,590
2. Maine $59,230
3. Minnesota $49,590
4. Hawaii $77,560
5. Maryland $63,460
6. Washington $48,290
7. North Dakota $47,780
8. Colorado $48,200
9. Nebraska $48,500
10. New Hampshire $47,610

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  2. 2. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  3. 3. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  4. 4. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  5. 5. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
  6. 6. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits 40% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $44,350.

Employment Projections expect -4% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 15,900 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: Nevada at $49,590. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Plant Operators at $102,040. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #71 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic lands at #71, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-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.

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 40% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4072

Nevada · top state for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$50K published median

Maine · #2 state pay

$59K · behind Nevada

Power Plant Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $102K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $62K

Compare Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Against another occupation

Power Plant Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is pay-rank #71 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($44K), Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders ($44K), Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing ($43K), Etchers and Engravers ($43K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measurin…; Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making…; Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products; Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4072, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.4), Active Listening (3.3), Reading Comprehension (3.1), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mechanical, Mathematics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $44,350 as the national median for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $34,170 to $61,600. Beside Power Plant Operators ($102,040), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is -4%. Projected annual openings: about 15,900. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Nevada ($49,590), Maine ($59,230), Minnesota ($49,590) 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 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4072. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, 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