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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

$41,230

Typical range

$32k – $60k

Job outlook

See national outlook

AI exposure

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

Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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Typical progression

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

    Entry / Junior

    $31,990

    ~2 yrs to advance

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

    Established

    $41,230

    ~3 yrs to advance

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

    Senior

    $50,670

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

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