How to become a Foundry Mold and Coremaker

Official title: Foundry Mold and Coremakers

Also called: Core Machine Operator, Core Maker, Core Stripper, Coremaker, Green Sand Molder, Mold Maker, Mold Operator, Molder, No Bake Molder, Sand Molder

Make or form wax or sand cores or molds used in the production of metal castings in foundries.

Main tasks

• Clean and smooth molds, cores, and core boxes, and repair surface imperfections.
• Sift and pack sand into mold sections, core boxes, and pattern contours, using hand or pneumatic ramming tools.
• Position patterns inside mold sections, and clamp sections together.
• Position cores into lower sections of molds, and reassemble molds for pouring.
• Sprinkle or spray parting agents onto patterns and mold sections to facilitate removal of patterns from molds.
• Form and assemble slab cores around patterns, and position wire in mold sections to reinforce molds, using hand tools and glue.
• Move and position workpieces, such as mold sections, patterns, and bottom boards, using cranes, or signal others to move workpieces.
• Lift upper mold sections from lower sections, and remove molded patterns.

How to become one

Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary training.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Coremaker.
• Apprenticeship: Job Molder.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $48,110 a year The middle half earn $41,870 to $57,350.
• About 12,700 people work in this job now, and about 9,800 are projected by 2035. (-23%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Foundry Mold and Coremaker?

Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary training.

How much does a Foundry Mold and Coremaker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $48,110 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $41,870 to $57,350.

Is a Foundry Mold and Coremaker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 23% by 2035, from about 12,700 to about 9,800 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Foundry Mold and Coremaker?

Usually not. Only 7% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Coremaker.

Will AI change the work of a Foundry Mold and Coremaker?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.