Careers / Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic — Career Decision Dashboard

United States

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Median annual wage

$46,170

United States, 2025

Employment

33,190

United States, 2025

Typical education

Not recorded

Job Zone 2

Skills identified

35

10 related careers

Career overview

Mold, shape, form, cast, or carve products such as food products, figurines, tile, pipes, and candles consisting of clay, glass, plaster, concrete, stone, or combinations of materials.

O*NET code
51-9195.00
Job zone
2
Experience required
Not recorded

Typical tasks

  • Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced.
  • Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws.
  • Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage.
  • Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products.
  • Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges.
  • Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts.
  • Separate models or patterns from molds and examine products for accuracy.
  • Set the proper operating temperature for each casting.

Choose a location

Salary analysis — United States

$35,850
10th
$39,280
25th
$46,170
Median
$53,000
75th
$61,530
90th

10th percentile

$35,850

25th percentile

$39,280

75th percentile

$53,000

90th percentile

$61,530

Most important skills

  • Operation and Control3.0
  • Reading Comprehension2.9
  • Operations Monitoring2.9
  • Active Listening2.9
  • Speaking2.8
  • Monitoring2.8
  • Quality Control Analysis2.8
  • Coordination2.6
  • Writing2.6
  • Time Management2.6
  • Critical Thinking2.6
  • Social Perceptiveness2.6

What skills do you need?

Select the skills you already have

Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.

Skill coverage

0%

0 of 1 identified skills

Matched

0

Missing

1

Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.

Skills to develop

SkillImportanceRequired levelYour levelGap
Operation and Control3.02.6Not selected2.6

Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.

Related careers

How salary varies by location

LocationMedianEmploymentYear
Vineland, NJ$68,4901502025
Bozeman, MT$61,010502025
San Jose, CA$60,1301302025
Modesto, CA$59,990702025
New Orleans, LA$59,320402025
Colorado Springs, CO$58,570402025
MT$57,8601502025
San Francisco, CA$57,3004002025
Seattle, WA$56,7706602025
Santa Rosa, CA$56,320802025
Spokane, WA$56,1101002025
HI$55,990402025
Boston, MA$55,5305002025
Worcester, MA$54,9202202025
Albany, NY$54,500502025
Bend, OR$54,410402025
OR$52,7404102025
Joplin, MO$52,560702025
CT$52,5201702025
Salem, OR$52,220502025
All locations with published data

Career transition paths

Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.

Build a transition comparison

Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0.

Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).

Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.