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Skilled Trades

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

Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.

Median salary (BLS)

$44,350

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$34k – $62k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Plan a path to Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Entry / Junior

    $34,170

    ~2 yrs to advance

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

    Established

    $44,350

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Senior

    $52,975

Key skills

A typical day

  • •Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
  • •Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary.
  • •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.
  • •Read specifications, blueprints, and work orders to determine setups, temperatures, and time settings required to mold, form, or cast plastic materials, as well as to plan production sequences.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.