Life As a Tool and Die Maker
Tool & Die Maker Definition 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.
List of Tool & Die Maker Job Duties
- Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.
- Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
- 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.
- Cut, shape, and trim blanks or blocks to specified lengths or shapes, using power saws, power shears, rules, and hand tools.
- Lift, position, and secure machined parts on surface plates or worktables, using hoists, vises, v-blocks, or angle plates.
- Smooth and polish flat and contoured surfaces of parts or tools, using scrapers, abrasive stones, files, emery cloths, or power grinders.
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What Every Tool & Die Maker Should Know
When polled, Tool and Die Makers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Equipment Selection: Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
Related Job Titles
- Metal Die Finisher
- Tool Mechanic
- Plastic Tool Maker
- Edger
- Tool and Die Maker Apprentice
Are There Job Opportunities for Tool and Die Makers?
In the United States, there were 72,500 jobs for Tool and Die Maker in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Tool and Die Maker. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 6,000 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Tool & Die Maker are North Dakota, Idaho, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Vermont, Maine, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Tool & Die Maker
The typical yearly salary for Tool and Die Makers is somewhere between $32,660 and $76,900.
Tool and Die Makers who work in Connecticut, Kansas, or Oregon, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Tool and Die Makers in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $52,400 |
| Arizona | $53,270 |
| Arkansas | $44,000 |
| California | $57,190 |
| Colorado | $49,140 |
| Connecticut | $63,660 |
| Florida | $49,030 |
| Georgia | $50,680 |
| Idaho | $48,360 |
| Illinois | $53,730 |
| Indiana | $52,740 |
| Iowa | $49,690 |
| Kansas | $62,240 |
| Kentucky | $56,600 |
| Louisiana | $42,970 |
| Maine | $56,360 |
| Maryland | $56,770 |
| Massachusetts | $54,360 |
| Michigan | $53,220 |
| Minnesota | $58,380 |
| Mississippi | $46,480 |
| Missouri | $54,420 |
| Nebraska | $51,250 |
| Nevada | $57,790 |
| New Hampshire | $54,160 |
| New Jersey | $55,680 |
| New York | $53,290 |
| North Carolina | $49,780 |
| North Dakota | $55,680 |
| Ohio | $51,560 |
| Oklahoma | $57,860 |
| Oregon | $61,890 |
| Pennsylvania | $50,690 |
| Rhode Island | $52,340 |
| South Carolina | $52,440 |
| South Dakota | $42,460 |
| Tennessee | $46,490 |
| Texas | $50,340 |
| Utah | $55,510 |
| Vermont | $54,840 |
| Virginia | $53,770 |
| West Virginia | $55,580 |
| Wisconsin | $50,050 |
What Tools & Technology do Tool and Die Makers Use?
Below is a list of the types of tools and technologies that Tool and Die Makers may use on a daily basis:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- SAP
- Microsoft Project
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Dassault Systemes CATIA
- Dassault Systemes SOLIDWORKS
- Bentley Microstation
- PTC Creo Parametric
- Autodesk Inventor
- 1CadCam Unigraphics
- CNC Mastercam
- DP Technology ESPRIT
- Virtual Gibbs CADD/CAM
How do I Become a Tool & Die Maker?
Education needed to be a Tool and Die Maker:
How Long Does it Take to Become a Tool & Die Maker?
Where Tool and Die Makers Are Employed
The table below shows the approximate number of Tool and Die Makers employed by various industries.
References:
Image Credit: US Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class John Linzmeier via Public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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