51 Series · SOC 51-4071
Foundry Mold and Coremakers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $48,110
- Median / year
- $62,640
- Top 10% earn
- -25.9%
- Growth '23–'33
- 12,790
- US workers
Foundry Mold and Coremakers earn a median of $48,110 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $48,110, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $37,160 (10th percentile) to $62,640 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 12,790 US workers. Oregon pays the most ($67,060), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Foundry Mold and Coremakers earn a median of $48,110, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 28% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #48 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 25.9% by 2033.
- $48,110
- Median annual wage
- Top 72%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #48 of 105
- in Production
- 1.7×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: Oregon at $67,060. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Foundry Mold and Coremakers (SOC 51-4071) pays a national median of $48,110 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $37,160 at the 10th percentile to $62,640 at the 90th, with a mean of $49,860 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 12,790 Americans work in this occupation across 33 reporting states and 47 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -25.9% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 900 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Oregon pays the highest state median at $67,060, which is +39% above the national figure. The top metro is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA at $67,060 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$48,110
per year
Median Hourly
$23.13/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$49,860
average
Employment
12,790
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Foundry Mold and Coremakers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$48,110 Bottom 28% higher than 28% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Foundry Mold and Coremakers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Foundry Mold and Coremakers sits on the slower-growing side at -25.9% growth and $48,110 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-25.9%
Declining
Annual Openings
900
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Foundry Mold and Coremakers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Clean and smooth molds, cores, and core boxes, and repair surface imperfections.
- ▸ Sift and pack sand into mold sections, core boxes, and pattern contours, using hand or pneumatic ramming tools.
- ▸ Position patterns inside mold sections, and clamp sections together.
- ▸ Position cores into lower sections of molds, and reassemble molds for pouring.
- ▸ Tend machines that bond cope and drag together to form completed shell molds.
- ▸ Sprinkle or spray parting agents onto patterns and mold sections to facilitate removal of patterns from molds.
- ▸ Form and assemble slab cores around patterns, and position wire in mold sections to reinforce molds, using hand tools and glue.
- ▸ Move and position workpieces, such as mold sections, patterns, and bottom boards, using cranes, or signal others to move workpieces.
- ▸ Rotate sweep boards around spindles to make symmetrical molds for convex impressions.
- ▸ Pour molten metal into molds, manually or with crane ladles.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$37,160
25th Percentile
$41,870
Median
$48,110
75th Percentile
$57,350
90th Percentile
$62,640
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 33 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $67,060 | +39% above national |
| 2 | Missouri | $61,480 | +28% above national |
| 3 | Illinois | $57,110 | +19% above national |
| 4 | Minnesota | $56,840 | +18% above national |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $55,940 | +16% above national |
| 6 | New Jersey | $55,210 | +15% above national |
| 7 | New York | $54,380 | +13% above national |
| 8 | Alabama | $51,040 | +6% above national |
| 9 | Indiana | $49,860 | +4% above national |
| 10 | Iowa | $49,060 | +2% above national |
| 11 | Ohio | $49,040 | +2% above national |
| 12 | Washington | $48,440 | +1% above national |
| 13 | Kansas | $47,910 | same as national |
| 14 | Connecticut | $47,310 | 2% below national |
| 15 | California | $46,930 | 2% below national |
| 16 | North Carolina | $46,910 | 2% below national |
| 17 | Georgia | $46,220 | 4% below national |
| 18 | Michigan | $46,150 | 4% below national |
| 19 | Nebraska | $45,910 | 5% below national |
| 20 | Utah | $44,970 | 7% below national |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $44,750 | 7% below national |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $44,130 | 8% below national |
| 23 | Kentucky | $43,610 | 9% below national |
| 24 | Oklahoma | $43,550 | 9% below national |
| 25 | New Hampshire | $43,210 | 10% below national |
| 26 | Virginia | $43,130 | 10% below national |
| 27 | Colorado | $42,240 | 12% below national |
| 28 | Arkansas | $42,200 | 12% below national |
| 29 | Texas | $42,190 | 12% below national |
| 30 | South Carolina | $41,100 | 15% below national |
| 31 | Mississippi | $39,560 | 18% below national |
| 32 | Florida | $38,330 | 20% below national |
| 33 | Tennessee | $37,310 | 22% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 47 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $67,060 | +39% above national |
| 2 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $58,090 | +21% above national |
| 3 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $57,630 | +20% above national |
| 4 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $55,210 | +15% above national |
| 5 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $54,920 | +14% above national |
| 6 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $54,080 | +12% above national |
| 7 | Southwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $52,890 | +10% above national |
| 8 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $52,010 | +8% above national |
| 9 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $51,020 | +6% above national |
| 10 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $50,610 | +5% above national |
| 11 | Anniston-Oxford, AL | $50,420 | +5% above national |
| 12 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $49,980 | +4% above national |
| 13 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $49,900 | +4% above national |
| 14 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $49,600 | +3% above national |
| 15 | Cleveland, OH | $49,040 | +2% above national |
| 16 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $48,190 | same as national |
| 17 | Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $48,100 | same as national |
| 18 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $47,560 | 1% below national |
| 19 | Pittsburgh, PA | $47,550 | 1% below national |
| 20 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $47,520 | 1% below national |
| 21 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $47,440 | 1% below national |
| 22 | Columbus, OH | $46,970 | 2% below national |
| 23 | Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $46,740 | 3% below national |
| 24 | York-Hanover, PA | $46,660 | 3% below national |
| 25 | Monroe, MI | $46,600 | 3% below national |
| 26 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $46,360 | 4% below national |
| 27 | Erie, PA | $46,290 | 4% below national |
| 28 | Reading, PA | $46,260 | 4% below national |
| 29 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $46,200 | 4% below national |
| 30 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,110 | 4% below national |
| 31 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $46,110 | 4% below national |
| 32 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $45,950 | 4% below national |
| 33 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $45,610 | 5% below national |
| 34 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $44,950 | 7% below national |
| 35 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $44,710 | 7% below national |
| 36 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $44,180 | 8% below national |
| 37 | Madison, WI | $44,130 | 8% below national |
| 38 | Southern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $44,020 | 9% below national |
| 39 | Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $43,810 | 9% below national |
| 40 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $43,440 | 10% below national |
| 41 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $42,630 | 11% below national |
| 42 | Akron, OH | $40,220 | 16% below national |
| 43 | Niles, MI | $39,450 | 18% below national |
| 44 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $39,360 | 18% below national |
| 45 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $39,330 | 18% below national |
| 46 | Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $37,120 | 23% below national |
| 47 | Tulsa, OK | $36,720 | 24% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What state pays Foundry Mold and Coremakers the most? ▼
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How dangerous is being a Foundry Mold and Coremakers? ▼
Is Foundry Mold and Coremakers a good career? ▼
How does Foundry Mold and Coremakers pay vary by state? ▼
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What to do with this data
How to use Foundry Mold and Coremakers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $57,350/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: Oregon leads at $67,060/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.