How to become a Tool and Die Maker

Official title: Tool and Die Makers

Also called: Die Machinist, Die Repair Laborer, Die Repair Technician (Die Repair Tech), Jig and Fixture Repairer, Tool and Die Machinist, Tool and Die Maker, Tool and Fixture Specialist, Tool Maker, Tool Repairer, Trim Die Maker

Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists' hand tools.

Main tasks

• Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators.
• Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
• Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
• Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
• Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools, hand tools, or welders.
• Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.
• Select metals to be used from a range of metals and alloys, based on properties such as hardness or heat tolerance.
• Lift, position, and secure machined parts on surface plates or worktables, using hoists, vises, v-blocks, or angle plates.

How to become one

Although machinists typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation, tool and die makers also may need to complete postsecondary courses. Machinists and tool and die makers typically are trained on the job. Some learn through training or apprenticeship programs, vocational schools, or community and technical colleges.

Typical education to start: Postsecondary nondegree award

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

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Die Maker, Stamping.
• Apprenticeship: Die Maker, Trim.
• Apprenticeship: Tool Maker.
• Certificate or associate's degree: Postsecondary nondegree award. Programs such as Tool and Die Technology/Technician

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $64,050 a year The middle half earn $51,490 to $78,770.
• About 56,700 people work in this job now, and about 51,500 are projected by 2035. (-9.2%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• 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
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Tool and Die Maker?

Although machinists typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation, tool and die makers also may need to complete postsecondary courses. Machinists and tool and die makers typically are trained on the job. Some learn through training or apprenticeship programs, vocational schools, or community and technical colleges.

How much does a Tool and Die Maker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $64,050 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $51,490 to $78,770.

Is a Tool and Die Maker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 9% by 2035, from about 56,700 to about 51,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Tool and Die Maker?

Usually not. Only 3% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Postsecondary nondegree award; Die Maker, Stamping.

Will AI change the work of a Tool and Die Maker?

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.