Pourers and Casters, Metal Career, Salary and Skills
Pourers and Casters, Metal have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $51,810 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 4,560. Wage data is published for 38 locations.
Occupation description
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
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
None
National salary and employment
Median annual
$51,810
Hourly median
$24.91
Employment
4,560
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$38,480
10th
$45,190
25th
$51,810
Median
$61,700
75th
$72,040
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Operation and Control | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Active Listening | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Time Management | 2.88 | 2.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.75 | 2.62 |
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.
Technology
- Husky Injection Molding Systems Shotscope NX
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Pourers and Casters, Metal salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in INMedian $61,430 · Employment 530
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in TXMedian $52,100 · Employment 500
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in OHMedian $60,770 · Employment 460
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in MIMedian $60,280 · Employment 360
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in ILMedian $57,200 · Employment 330
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in WIMedian $47,880 · Employment 320
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $61,680 · Employment 320
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in PAMedian $47,220 · Employment 290
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in CAMedian $44,150 · Employment 240
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in ALMedian $47,330 · Employment 160
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in Dallas, TXMedian $58,240 · Employment 150
- Pourers and Casters, Metal Salary in Cleveland, OHMedian $63,040 · Employment 150
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- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticNational median $47,720
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- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersNational median $46,350
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- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticNational median $46,550
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.