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Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Delaware

Thinking about a career as a Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Delaware? Here’s what you need to know. Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.

What do Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Make in Delaware?

The molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic working in Delaware, the median annual wage is $46,690 per year (or about $22.45/hour).Earnings range from $35,980 at the 10th percentile to $54,310 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$35,980	$17.30
25th percentile	$42,630	$20.49
Median (50th)	$46,690	$22.45
75th percentile	$47,140	$22.66
90th percentile	$54,310	$26.11

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Delaware compared to the national average — is 0.43, indicating fewer molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn a median of $60,853 per year ($29.26/hour), below the Delaware median.

Employment Outlook

There are roughly 211,132 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the U.S.. In Delaware alone, about 210 people work in this role. That trails the typical state, which employs around 1,820 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.

Top States for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Employment

The table below shows the states where the most molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic work.

State	Number Employed
Illinois	13,180
Michigan	12,920
Ohio	12,710
California	9,650
Wisconsin	9,320
Indiana	8,430
Texas	7,750
North Carolina	7,410
Pennsylvania	6,890
Alabama	6,200
Kentucky	4,740
Massachusetts	4,080
Missouri	3,960
New York	3,390
Tennessee	3,090
New Jersey	3,030
Minnesota	2,840
Utah	2,830
South Carolina	2,800
Georgia	2,790

Highest-Paying States for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Where molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn the most: molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic.

State	Annual Median Salary
Hawaii	$70,390
Maine	$59,050
Nevada	$52,900
Colorado	$51,900
Maryland	$50,990
Washington	$47,640
Minnesota	$47,110
Delaware	$46,690
Pennsylvania	$46,300
Utah	$45,820

Skills

Top molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Important knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Day-to-day, molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic typically:

• 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.
• Perform maintenance work such as cleaning and oiling machines.
• Smooth and clean inner surfaces of molds, using brushes, scrapers, air hoses, or grinding wheels, and fill imperfections with refractory material.
• Operate hoists to position dies or patterns on foundry floors.
• Cool products after processing to prevent distortion.

Work Activities

• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Getting Information
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Performing General Physical Activities
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Tools & Technology

Common tools and software used in this occupation include: Hot technologies: Microsoft Excel

Related Careers

Careers similar to molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic include:

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

Also Known As

Aluminum Molder, Aluminum Molding Machine Operator, Automatic Casting Machine Operator, Babbitt Spinner, Babbitter, Bench Molder, Bender Machine Operator, Bit Bender, Blaster, Blow Mold Operator, Blow Molding Machine Tender, Blow Molding Operator, Bonding Machine Operator, Brake Drum Molder, Brass Molder.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-4072.00