← Back to Careers
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4062
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$58,000
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
200
Proj. Annual Openings
1,470
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-11.3%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-4062 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 58/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $58,000
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 200
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -24.4%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 233 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlQuality Control AnalysisReading ComprehensionActive Listening
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure0.7%
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
21.4%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI15.2%
AI ability · AIOE49%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne90%
AI could do ~15.2% of this role but only ~0% is currently done with AI — a large capability-vs-adoption gap.
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Operation and Control
3.Quality Control Analysis
4.Reading Comprehension
5.Active Listening
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
Lay out, machine, fit, and assemble castings and parts to metal or plastic foundry patterns, core boxes, or match plates.
Common titles: Die Cast Die Maker, Fixture Builder, Layout Technician, Metal Pattern Maker, Pattern Maker, Pattern Maker Programmer
Representative Tasks
- •Verify conformance of patterns or template dimensions to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers.
- •Set up and operate machine tools, such as milling machines, lathes, drill presses, and grinders, to machine castings or patterns.
- •Repair and rework templates and patterns.
- •Assemble pattern sections, using hand tools, bolts, screws, rivets, glue, or welding equipment.
- •Read and interpret blueprints or drawings of parts to be cast or patterns to be made, compute dimensions, and plan operational sequences.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Program equipment to perform production tasks.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Operate grinding equipment.
- •Design templates or patterns.
- •Construct patterns, templates, or other work aids.
Tools & Technologies
Autodesk AutoCAD · hotMicrosoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hot3D Systems Geomagic Design XDelcam PowerMILLMastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
15
Occupations Shown
0.5%
Avg AI Exposure
1
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Multi-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 51-4062: 2019 — employment: 3,010, median wage: $46,910; 2020 — employment: 2,400, median wage: $48,160; 2021 — employment: 2,090, median wage: $48,090; 2022 — employment: 2,230, median wage: $54,970; 2023 — employment: 2,150, median wage: $49,670; 2025 — employment: 1,470, median wage: $58,000.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $58,000 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |