Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 51-9197

Tire Builders

O*NET task statements lead this Tire Builders card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Tire Builders: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Tire Builders publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9197 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Place tires into molds for new tread
  2. 2. Fit inner tubes and final layers of rubber onto tires
  3. 3. Buff tires according to specifications for width and undertread depth
  4. 4. Build semi-raw rubber treads onto buffed tire casings to prepare tires for vulcanization in recapping or retreading processes
  5. 5. Brush or spray solvents onto plies to ensure adhesion, and repeat process as specified, alternating direction of each ply to strengthen t…
  6. 6. Start rollers that bond tread and plies as drums revolve
  7. 7. Align treads with guides, start drums to wind treads onto plies, and slice ends
  8. 8. Inspect worn tires for faults, cracks, cuts, and nail holes, and to determine if tires are suitable for retreading
  9. 9. Measure tires to determine mold size requirements
  10. 10. Trim excess rubber and imperfections during retreading processes
  11. 11. Roll hand rollers over rebuilt casings, exerting pressure to ensure adhesion between camelbacks and casings
  12. 12. Fill cuts and holes in tires, using hot rubber

Tire Builders: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9197 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.3
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.1
  3. 3. Active Listening 3.0
  4. 4. Critical Thinking 3.0
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.0
  6. 6. Judgment and Decision Making 2.8
  7. 7. Time Management 2.8
  8. 8. Speaking 2.6

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.7
  2. 2. Administration and Management 3.4
  3. 3. Mechanical 3.2
  4. 4. English Language 2.9
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 2.8
  6. 6. Public Safety and Security 2.8
National median after O*NET task lead
$57,390
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Place tires into molds for new tread
$57K
National median
↑ +2%
Growth 2024-2034
2,500
Annual openings
20,770
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Tire Builders

1. Ohio $56,370
2. Illinois $59,830
3. Tennessee $74,100
4. North Carolina $63,950
5. Indiana $51,170
6. Texas $54,880
7. Mississippi $53,050
8. Oregon $48,380
9. Connecticut $48,630
10. Iowa $50,600

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  2. 2. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  3. 3. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  4. 4. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  5. 5. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  6. 6. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Tire Builders (SOC 51-9197). The national OEWS median is $57,390 inside Production Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers. Lead published task: Place tires into molds for new tread.

Employment Projections expect +2% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,500 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: Ohio at $56,370. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Tire Builders pay-rank #21 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Tire Builders is pay-rank #21, 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 51-9197 · national median $57,390 · upper third of Production Occupations (#21/105). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Tire Builders salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9197

Ohio · top state for Tire Builders

$56K published median

Illinois · #2 state pay

$60K · behind Ohio

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Tire Builders · $123K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Tire Builders · $62K

Compare Tire Builders

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Tire Builders with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Tire Builders 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 Tire Builders at the top of the pay table? ▼
Tire Builders is pay-rank #21 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic ($58K), Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders ($58K), Model Makers, Wood ($57K), Machinists ($59K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do tire builders do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Tire Builders. Leading ones include: Place tires into molds for new tread; Fit inner tubes and final layers of rubber onto tires; Buff tires according to specifications for width and undertread depth; Build semi-raw rubber treads onto buffed tire casings to prepare tires for vulcanization in recapping or retreading processes. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for tire builders? ▼
For SOC 51-9197, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.3), Operations Monitoring (3.1), Active Listening (3.0), Critical Thinking (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Administration and Management, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Tire Builders? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $57,390 as the national median for Tire Builders. The published 10th-90th range is $40,150 to $74,680. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Tire Builders? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Tire Builders is +2%. Projected annual openings: about 2,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Tire Builders? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Tire Builders. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Tire Builders? ▼
Ohio ($56,370), Illinois ($59,830), Tennessee ($74,100) 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 Tire Builders card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9197. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Tire Builders. 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