Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by state
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is a professional role in the Production job family, focused on Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastics do
Typical education: High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringActive ListeningReading ComprehensionOperation and ControlMonitoringTime Management
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by industry
Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing
138,510 workers
$48,000
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
8,960 workers
$38,000
Wholesale Trade
1,250 workers
$48,000
Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS
1,180 workers
$76,500
Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation)
1,180 workers
$76,500
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
310 workers
$48,500
Management of Companies and Enterprises
70 workers
$52,000
Construction
40 workers
$50,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pays 14% below the average across 105 roles in the Production job family (family average $55,000).
How much does a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic make?
The average base salary for a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the United States is $47,500 per year, or about $22.84 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $38,500 and $53,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Production roles?
The Production job family averages $55,000 across 105 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
