How to become a tool or Die maker

Official title: Tool/Die maker

Also called: Die maker, Gauge maker, Jig and gauge maker, Metal pattern-maker, Press tool maker, Tap and die maker, Tool and die maker, Tool maker, Ÿ Press tool maker, Ÿ Jig and gauge maker

Tool/Die maker fits and assembles parts to make and repair metal-working dies, cutting tools, jig, fixtures, gauges, and machinists’ hand tools. He/she studies drawings, models and other specifications, computes dimensions, plans layout and assembly operations.

Main tasks

• Reading and interpreting engineering drawings and specifications of tools, dies, prototypes or models
• Preparing templates and sketches and determining work processes
• Visualising and computing dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications
• Positioning, securing and measuring metal stock or castings to lay out for machining
• Setting up, operating and maintaining conventional and computer numerically controlled machine tools to cut, turn, mill, plane, drill, bore, grind or otherwise shape workpiece to prescribed dimensions and finish
• Fitting and assembling parts to make and repair jigs, fixtures and gauges

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $48,204 a year. The middle half earn $40,560 to $57,156 a year.
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Related jobs

• Locksmith
• Blacksmith/Hammersmith/Forging-press worker
• Metal polisher/Wheel grinder/Tool sharpener

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Questions people ask

How much does a tool or Die maker earn in Singapore?

Median full-time pay is $48,204 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $40,560 to $57,156.

Will AI change the work of a tool or Die maker?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026