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Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic: Job Description
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.
What Do Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic include:
- Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced.
- Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws.
What Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Need to Know
Successful molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Other Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Adobe Block Maker
- Adobe Maker
- Almond Paste Molder
- Artificial Candy Maker
- Batter Out
- Bed Laborer
- Bit Gatherer
- Block Maker
How Many Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Are There?
The U.S. employs around 156,074 molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +7.2% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $33,315 |
| Hourly median | $16.02 |
| 10th percentile | $23,476 |
| 25th percentile | $28,396 |
| 75th percentile | $38,234 |
| 90th percentile | $43,153 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $74,780 |
| Maryland | $51,470 |
| New Hampshire | $50,690 |
| New York | $50,470 |
| Connecticut | $50,350 |
| Massachusetts | $49,530 |
| Montana | $49,350 |
| Oregon | $49,290 |
| New Jersey | $49,120 |
| California | $48,390 |
| Georgia | $48,320 |
| Louisiana | $48,280 |
| Washington | $48,100 |
| Vermont | $47,700 |
| Nebraska | $47,640 |
| Rhode Island | $47,630 |
| Delaware | $47,210 |
| Arizona | $47,170 |
| Maine | $47,100 |
| Kansas | $47,040 |
| Indiana | $46,990 |
| Nevada | $46,350 |
| Wisconsin | $45,870 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,810 |
| Illinois | $45,720 |
| Colorado | $45,480 |
| North Dakota | $45,230 |
| Minnesota | $45,090 |
| Iowa | $44,760 |
| Ohio | $44,660 |
| Idaho | $43,960 |
| Florida | $43,730 |
| South Carolina | $42,730 |
| Michigan | $42,520 |
| Missouri | $42,090 |
| Arkansas | $41,920 |
| Virginia | $41,280 |
| Oklahoma | $41,010 |
| Kentucky | $40,280 |
| Tennessee | $39,570 |
| Utah | $39,260 |
| North Carolina | $39,090 |
| Texas | $38,960 |
| West Virginia | $36,970 |
| Alabama | $36,240 |
| Mississippi | $30,070 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic shift depending on where you work. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| New England | $49,134 | 5.4% | 1.41 |
| Far Western US | $48,466 | 17.7% | 1.08 |
| Middle Atlantic | $48,200 | 12.1% | 0.94 |
| Plains States | $45,055 | 9.9% | 1.63 |
| Great Lakes | $44,930 | 21.5% | 1.69 |
| Rocky Mountains | $42,963 | 4.2% | 1.26 |
| Southeast | $40,825 | 21.6% | 1.13 |
| Southwest | $40,351 | 7.6% | 0.63 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vineland, NJ | NJ | $62,530 | 200 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $61,000 | 180 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $58,630 | 420 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $58,150 | 80 |
| Rochester, NY | NY | $57,360 | 60 |
| Syracuse, NY | NY | $54,560 | 40 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $54,250 | 450 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $52,740 | 80 |
Top Industries Employing Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
The bulk of molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 28,900 | $45,490 |
| Construction | 3,060 | $48,720 |
| Retail Trade | 840 | $49,730 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 840 | $36,100 |
| Wholesale Trade | 520 | $43,310 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 140 | $48,040 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 40 | $41,700 |
Below are examples of industries where molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic work:
Software Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Use
- Computer aided design CAD software: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Standing
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How to Become Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons (Supplemental)
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters (Supplemental)
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers (Primary-Short)
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Tool and Die Makers (Supplemental)
Sources
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9195.00 (Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic).
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