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Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4072
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$44,350
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
15,700
Proj. Annual Openings
150,470
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-2.3%/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 51-4072 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
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $44,350
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 15,700
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -3.8%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 18,542 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringActive ListeningReading ComprehensionMonitoringOperation and Control
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.
14.8%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI8.1%
AI ability · AIOE36.3%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne95%
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Active Listening
3.Reading Comprehension
4.Monitoring
5.Operation and Control
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
Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
Common titles: Core Machine Operator, Die Cast Technician, Diecast Machine Operator, Machine Operator, Mold Setter, Mold Technician
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Inspect metal, plastic, or composite products.
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.
- •Operate metal or plastic forming equipment.
- •Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Microsoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Outlook · hotSAP software · hotIntera Systems Hawk-iRobotWare DieCastVisi-Trak True-Trak 20/20
Related Occupations
Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticMolders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic · BrightExtruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersExtruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersMultiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
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 51-4072: 2019 — employment: 172,520, median wage: $32,130; 2020 — employment: 155,020, median wage: $33,100; 2021 — employment: 163,210, median wage: $36,370; 2022 — employment: 165,820, median wage: $37,050; 2023 — employment: 158,980, median wage: $38,870; 2025 — employment: 150,470, median wage: $44,350.
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 | $44,350 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |