Careers / Pourers and Casters, Metal
Pourers and Casters, Metal — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$51,810
United States, 2025
Employment
4,560
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or ingots.
- O*NET code
- 51-4052.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- Remove metal ingots or cores from molds, using hand tools, cranes, and chain hoists.
- Pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds and forms to produce ingots or other castings, using ladles or hand-controlled mechanisms.
- Read temperature gauges and observe color changes, adjusting furnace flames, torches, or electrical heating units as necessary to melt metal to specifications.
- Remove solidified steel or slag from pouring nozzles, using long bars or oxygen burners.
- Examine molds to ensure they are clean, smooth, and properly coated.
- Collect samples, or signal workers to sample metal for analysis.
- Load specified amounts of metal and flux into furnaces or clay crucibles.
- Position equipment such as ladles, grinding wheels, pouring nozzles, or crucibles, or signal other workers to position equipment.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$38,480
25th percentile
$45,190
75th percentile
$61,700
90th percentile
$72,040
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Operation and Control3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Time Management2.9
- Quality Control Analysis2.9
- Coordination2.9
- Equipment Maintenance2.8
- Speaking2.8
- Reading Comprehension2.8
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 6 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
6
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
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Pourers and Casters, MetalHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| TN | $71,880 | 120 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $66,120 | 40 | 2025 |
| Columbus, OH | $66,040 | 40 | 2025 |
| Cleveland, OH | $63,040 | 150 | 2025 |
| MA | $62,820 | — | 2025 |
| FL | $62,090 | 40 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $61,680 | 320 | 2025 |
| IN | $61,430 | 530 | 2025 |
| OH | $60,770 | 460 | 2025 |
| MI | $60,280 | 360 | 2025 |
| Youngstown, OH | $58,870 | 40 | 2025 |
| Dallas, TX | $58,240 | 150 | 2025 |
| NC | $57,700 | 100 | 2025 |
| IL | $57,200 | 330 | 2025 |
| WA | $54,210 | 80 | 2025 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $53,100 | 100 | 2025 |
| TX | $52,100 | 500 | 2025 |
| OR | $52,010 | 60 | 2025 |
| Detroit, MI | $51,700 | 40 | 2025 |
| KS | $50,530 | 70 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Pourers and Casters, Metal to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer 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.