What do they do?

Mold, shape, form, cast, or carve products such as food products, figurines, tile, pipes, and candles consisting of clay, glass, plaster, concrete, stone, or combinations of materials.

Also known as:

Bed Laborer, Caster, Injection Molding Machine Operator, Machine Operator, Mold Mechanic, Molder, Molding Line Operator, Press Operator

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, more slowly than average compared to all occupations.

Projected Employment For All United States

No Data Available
  • 2.5%

    Change

    Select a state to see its job growth rate ranking
    5,800

    Job Openings

    Select a state to see its net job growth ranking

Best colleges for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • High school diploma equivalent  (32%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (22%)
  • Some college, no degree  (18%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (16%)
  • Associate's degree  (6%)
  • Master's degree  (4%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

Select Type of Degree:

★ There are no majors that have graduates with this degree type

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Static Strength - The ability to exert maximum muscle force to lift, push, pull, or carry objects.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
  • Apply parting agents or other solutions to molds.
  • Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products.
  • Build production molds.
  • Clean workpieces or finished products.
  • Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.
  • Remove workpieces from molds.
  • Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
  • Stack finished items for further processing or shipment.
  • Load items into ovens or furnaces.
  • Assemble metal or plastic parts or products.
  • Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly.
  • Operate heating or drying equipment.
  • Select production equipment according to product specifications.
  • Fill cracks, imperfections, or holes in products or workpieces.
  • Trim excess material from workpieces.
  • Repair templates, patterns, or molds.
  • Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators.
  • Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing.
  • Smooth metal surfaces or edges.
  • Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
  • Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
  • Place materials into molds.
  • Immerse objects or workpieces in cleaning or coating solutions.
  • Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
  • Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials.
  • Draw guide lines or markings on materials or workpieces using patterns or other references.
  • Adjust position of molds during processing.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 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

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

careeronestop logo Videos: CareerOneStop, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development

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