Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2023
51-4072 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.
National estimates for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Industry profile for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Geographic profile for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
National estimates for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 158,980 |
1.3 % |
$ 20.22 |
$ 42,060 |
0.3 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.56 |
$ 16.78 |
$ 18.69 |
$ 22.75 |
$ 27.87 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 30,280 |
$ 34,900 |
$ 38,870 |
$ 47,320 |
$ 57,970 |
Industry profile for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing |
78,020 |
12.88 |
$ 19.72 |
$ 41,020 |
| Foundries |
14,200 |
13.23 |
$ 22.13 |
$ 46,040 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing |
7,910 |
1.42 |
$ 20.22 |
$ 42,060 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing |
5,770 |
3.55 |
$ 20.81 |
$ 43,280 |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing |
5,170 |
1.53 |
$ 22.40 |
$ 46,590 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Foundries |
14,200 |
13.23 |
$ 22.13 |
$ 46,040 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing |
78,020 |
12.88 |
$ 19.72 |
$ 41,020 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing |
5,770 |
3.55 |
$ 20.81 |
$ 43,280 |
| Rubber Product Manufacturing |
3,250 |
2.41 |
$ 19.92 |
$ 41,440 |
| Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing |
1,060 |
1.78 |
$ 25.92 |
$ 53,910 |
Top paying industries for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) |
1,150 |
0.05 |
$ 31.09 |
$ 64,670 |
| Building Finishing Contractors |
(8) |
(8) |
$ 27.03 |
$ 56,220 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services |
260 |
0.02 |
$ 26.70 |
$ 55,530 |
| Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing |
1,060 |
1.78 |
$ 25.92 |
$ 53,910 |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing |
230 |
0.37 |
$ 25.76 |
$ 53,580 |
Geographic profile for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Michigan |
12,480 |
2.87 |
2.74 |
$ 19.38 |
$ 40,300 |
| Illinois |
11,880 |
1.98 |
1.89 |
$ 20.32 |
$ 42,260 |
| California |
11,610 |
0.65 |
0.62 |
$ 22.17 |
$ 46,110 |
| Wisconsin |
11,100 |
3.85 |
3.67 |
$ 20.56 |
$ 42,760 |
| Indiana |
10,270 |
3.25 |
3.11 |
$ 20.16 |
$ 41,940 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Wisconsin |
11,100 |
3.85 |
3.67 |
$ 20.56 |
$ 42,760 |
| Indiana |
10,270 |
3.25 |
3.11 |
$ 20.16 |
$ 41,940 |
| Michigan |
12,480 |
2.87 |
2.74 |
$ 19.38 |
$ 40,300 |
| Kentucky |
5,110 |
2.61 |
2.49 |
$ 22.23 |
$ 46,240 |
| Alabama |
4,940 |
2.41 |
2.30 |
$ 19.14 |
$ 39,820 |
Top paying states for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Hawaii |
140 |
0.22 |
0.21 |
$ 32.37 |
$ 67,340 |
| Maryland |
340 |
0.13 |
0.12 |
$ 25.32 |
$ 52,660 |
| Montana |
290 |
0.58 |
0.55 |
$ 24.97 |
$ 51,940 |
| Maine |
380 |
0.61 |
0.59 |
$ 23.90 |
$ 49,710 |
| Vermont |
150 |
0.48 |
0.46 |
$ 23.66 |
$ 49,210 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
9,530 |
2.11 |
2.02 |
$ 20.30 |
$ 42,210 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
4,620 |
2.43 |
2.32 |
$ 19.35 |
$ 40,260 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
4,560 |
0.74 |
0.70 |
$ 22.09 |
$ 45,950 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
2,790 |
0.29 |
0.28 |
$ 19.81 |
$ 41,200 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI |
2,740 |
3.37 |
3.22 |
$ 19.77 |
$ 41,120 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI |
2,630 |
4.91 |
4.69 |
$ 19.80 |
$ 41,180 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
2,590 |
0.94 |
0.90 |
$ 20.68 |
$ 43,010 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
2,550 |
1.33 |
1.27 |
$ 21.34 |
$ 44,390 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
1,970 |
0.50 |
0.47 |
$ 19.60 |
$ 40,770 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC |
1,970 |
1.50 |
1.43 |
$ 20.08 |
$ 41,770 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Sheboygan, WI |
950 |
15.84 |
15.13 |
$ 23.27 |
$ 48,400 |
| Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL |
490 |
11.06 |
10.56 |
$ 19.78 |
$ 41,140 |
| Evansville, IN-KY |
1,440 |
9.43 |
9.01 |
$ 19.59 |
$ 40,750 |
| Columbus, IN |
430 |
8.41 |
8.03 |
$ 18.56 |
$ 38,610 |
| Muskegon, MI |
510 |
8.21 |
7.84 |
$ 21.10 |
$ 43,890 |
| Erie, PA |
960 |
8.08 |
7.71 |
$ 17.18 |
$ 35,730 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL |
500 |
7.82 |
7.47 |
$ 19.13 |
$ 39,800 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN |
1,000 |
7.31 |
6.98 |
$ 17.21 |
$ 35,790 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN |
270 |
6.76 |
6.46 |
$ 19.92 |
$ 41,440 |
| Leominster-Gardner, MA |
330 |
6.47 |
6.18 |
$ 19.05 |
$ 39,630 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Portsmouth, NH-ME |
140 |
1.47 |
1.41 |
$ 28.80 |
$ 59,900 |
| Warner Robins, GA |
40 |
0.52 |
0.50 |
$ 26.98 |
$ 56,110 |
| Albany, OR |
120 |
2.45 |
2.34 |
$ 26.04 |
$ 54,150 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
340 |
0.30 |
0.28 |
$ 25.55 |
$ 53,140 |
| Owensboro, KY |
160 |
3.06 |
2.92 |
$ 25.08 |
$ 52,160 |
| Bakersfield, CA |
100 |
0.30 |
0.29 |
$ 24.58 |
$ 51,130 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
650 |
0.27 |
0.26 |
$ 24.57 |
$ 51,110 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
160 |
0.12 |
0.12 |
$ 24.51 |
$ 50,980 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV |
190 |
1.84 |
1.76 |
$ 24.34 |
$ 50,640 |
| Ogden-Clearfield, UT |
930 |
3.22 |
3.08 |
$ 24.21 |
$ 50,360 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Nonmetropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area |
2,000 |
9.42 |
9.00 |
$ 22.42 |
$ 46,630 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area |
1,860 |
8.98 |
8.58 |
$ 20.63 |
$ 42,910 |
| South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area |
1,600 |
9.37 |
8.95 |
$ 20.35 |
$ 42,330 |
| North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) |
1,410 |
4.33 |
4.14 |
$ 19.68 |
$ 40,920 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area |
1,390 |
5.60 |
5.35 |
$ 22.16 |
$ 46,100 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
About May 2023 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2023 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2023 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: April 3, 2024
United States Department of Labor
