How to become a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic

Official title: Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also called: Core Machine Operator, Die Cast Technician, Diecast Machine Operator, Machine Operator, Mold Setter, Mold Technician, Molder, Process Technician, Production Technician

Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.

Main tasks

• Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
• Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary.
• Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
• Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times.
• Read specifications, blueprints, and work orders to determine setups, temperatures, and time settings required to mold, form, or cast plastic materials, as well as to plan production sequences.
• Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times.
• Connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools.
• Remove parts, such as dies, from machines after production runs are finished.

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: Caster (Nonferrous Metal).
• Apprenticeship: Injection Molding Machine Operator.
• Apprenticeship: Mold Setter.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $44,350 a year The middle half earn $37,270 to $51,020.
• About 150,000 people work in this job now, and about 144,900 are projected by 2035. (-3.4%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Foundry Mold and Coremakers
• 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

Not sure this is for you? Take the 2-minute career quiz

Questions people ask

How do I become a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

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 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $44,350 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,270 to $51,020.

Is a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 3% by 2035, from about 150,000 to about 144,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

Usually not. Only 7% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Caster (Nonferrous Metal).

Will AI change the work of a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

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.