Occupation overview

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic is $44,350, or $21.32 per hour. About 150,470 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $77,560 in Hawaii to $38,160 in Wyoming.

Median annual
$44,350
Median hourly
$21.32
Entry level (P10)
$34,170
Top 10% (P90)
$61,600
Employment
150,470
States covered
49

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$34,170
$37,270
$44,350
$51,020
$34,170$44,350$61,600
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $44,350.

Salary by state

All 49 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1Hawaii$77,560$37.291400.23
2Maryland$63,460$30.512300.09
3Maine$59,230$28.474700.76
4Nevada$49,590$23.843500.24
5Minnesota$49,590$23.842,2300.78
6Nebraska$48,500$23.321,0001.00
7Washington$48,290$23.221,8000.52
8Colorado$48,200$23.182,1600.78
9North Dakota$47,780$22.971600.39
10New Hampshire$47,610$22.891,0801.63
11California$47,240$22.719,2500.52
12Kentucky$47,110$22.654,3402.24
13Arizona$46,930$22.561,4300.46
14Pennsylvania$46,760$22.487,0001.19
15Utah$46,750$22.472,4001.43
16Connecticut$46,240$22.231,1000.67
17Oregon$46,200$22.211,7800.93
18Oklahoma$45,680$21.962,0301.23
19Illinois$45,500$21.8810,6801.81
20Virginia$45,370$21.811,6800.42
21South Carolina$45,270$21.763,2401.45
22Iowa$45,220$21.743,6702.43
23Delaware$45,220$21.741200.25
24Ohio$44,830$21.5511,0502.06
25Arkansas$44,790$21.532,5202.00
26Vermont$44,530$21.411100.39
27New York$44,500$21.403,3200.35
28Indiana$44,290$21.298,8102.85
29Wisconsin$44,230$21.278,5903.02
30Missouri$44,120$21.213,3401.18
31Montana$43,340$20.841100.23
32Georgia$43,250$20.792,0600.44
33Kansas$43,050$20.701,2400.89
34Idaho$42,690$20.525200.62
35Massachusetts$42,570$20.473,8101.08
36West Virginia$42,500$20.434200.62
37Rhode Island$42,020$20.204300.89
38New Mexico$41,990$20.192500.30
39North Carolina$41,630$20.017,5701.58
40Texas$41,140$19.787,4600.55
41South Dakota$40,750$19.598401.89
42New Jersey$39,950$19.212,4500.59
43Mississippi$39,730$19.105500.49
44Michigan$39,490$18.9913,5503.18
45Alabama$39,010$18.765,9002.88
46Tennessee$38,820$18.663,7301.18
47Louisiana$38,650$18.58900.05
48Florida$38,440$18.483,2900.34
49Wyoming$38,160$18.35600.22

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?

The median annual wage for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in the United States is $44,350, or $21.32 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $34,170, and the top 10% earn $61,600.

How many molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic are employed in the U.S.?

About 150,470 people work as molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationwide.

Which state pays molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?

Hawaii pays the most at a median of $77,560, followed by Maryland ($63,460) and Maine ($59,230).

Which state pays molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the least?

Wyoming has the lowest median at $38,160.

Where are molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Michigan at 3.18×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes