Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
Also called: Caster, Mold Mechanic, Molder, Molding Line OperatorMold, shape, form, cast, or carve products such as food products, figurines, tile, pipes, and candles consisting of clay, glass, plaster, concrete, stone, or combinations of materials.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 1 of its 24 tasks, and jobs are projected to grow 5.8% by 2035. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
BLS figures cover the broader occupation “Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic”, which includes this one and others.
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 6.1% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 5.4 hires for every 10 job openings in durable goods manufacturing, which employs about 76% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.5.4 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $36,730 | $35,560 to $45,470 | 820 |
| Arizona | $49,060 | $46,050 to $50,790 | 470 |
| Arkansas | $35,620 | $30,520 to $44,160 | 190 |
| California | $49,190 | $45,180 to $58,770 | 3,590 |
| Colorado | $49,530 | $42,200 to $59,020 | 390 |
| Connecticut | $52,520 | $44,060 to $58,270 | 170 |
| Delaware | $47,940 | $43,070 to $52,730 | 90 |
| Florida | $45,030 | $39,610 to $47,230 | 2,410 |
| Georgia | $47,160 | $35,590 to $50,560 | 760 |
| Hawaii | $55,990 | $43,130 to $71,380 | 40 |
| Idaho | $42,620 | $37,490 to $47,690 | 210 |
| Illinois | $47,180 | $39,020 to $49,960 | 1,230 |
| Indiana | $46,400 | $39,620 to $54,080 | 1,520 |
| Iowa | $46,220 | $41,610 to $53,600 | 340 |
| Kansas | $47,360 | $44,720 to $58,230 | 680 |
| Kentucky | $41,590 | $37,990 to $46,680 | 370 |
| Louisiana | $46,870 | $38,800 to $59,760 | 100 |
| Maine | $48,640 | $46,810 to $50,330 | 120 |
| Maryland | $50,360 | $39,850 to $61,870 | 110 |
| Massachusetts | $50,550 | $47,780 to $59,240 | 1,200 |
| Michigan | $45,250 | $39,110 to $48,100 | 1,470 |
| Minnesota | $45,790 | $39,480 to $53,950 | 900 |
| Mississippi | $37,580 | $29,630 to $45,590 | 210 |
| Missouri | $46,380 | $40,820 to $51,790 | 690 |
| Montana | $57,860 | $48,520 to $61,010 | 150 |
| Nebraska | $46,220 | $43,430 to $48,090 | 240 |
| Nevada | $45,020 | $37,450 to $49,770 | 430 |
| New Hampshire | $51,470 | $43,650 to $58,140 | 160 |
| New Jersey | $47,360 | $39,640 to $60,510 | 620 |
| New Mexico | $46,970 | $37,780 to $47,840 | not published |
| New York | $45,940 | $39,520 to $55,070 | 1,150 |
| North Carolina | $38,190 | $35,010 to $46,790 | 550 |
| North Dakota | $46,170 | $41,860 to $48,950 | 60 |
| Ohio | $44,560 | $37,970 to $50,250 | 1,560 |
| Oklahoma | $46,460 | $38,340 to $48,600 | 220 |
| Oregon | $52,740 | $48,000 to $57,420 | 410 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,310 | $39,500 to $49,410 | 1,690 |
| Rhode Island | $47,610 | $44,630 to $53,570 | not published |
| South Carolina | $46,110 | $37,780 to $49,250 | 550 |
| Tennessee | $45,860 | $38,620 to $50,910 | 880 |
| Texas | $40,010 | $35,530 to $47,670 | 2,550 |
| Utah | $43,440 | $36,540 to $48,700 | 710 |
| Vermont | $48,660 | $44,680 to $58,970 | 240 |
| Virginia | $45,410 | $38,180 to $48,010 | 720 |
| Washington | $51,780 | $48,580 to $61,520 | 1,130 |
| West Virginia | $43,300 | $39,490 to $47,840 | 260 |
| Wisconsin | $48,030 | $45,380 to $55,300 | 550 |
| Wyoming | $37,510 | $34,810 to $42,910 | 80 |
Nationally: $46,170. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 1 of its 24 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced. | Not published |
| Not much | Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts. | Not published |
| Not much | Align and assemble parts to produce completed products, using gauges and hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges. | Not published |
| Not much | Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage. | Not published |
See all 24 tasks
| Not much | Load or stack filled molds in ovens, dryers, or curing boxes, or on storage racks or carts. | Not published |
| Not much | Separate models or patterns from molds and examine products for accuracy. | Not published |
| Not much | Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate and adjust controls of heating equipment to melt material or to cure, dry, or bake filled molds. | Not published |
| Not much | Set the proper operating temperature for each casting. | Not published |
| Not much | Smooth surfaces of molds, using scraping tools or sandpaper. | Not published |
| AI + software | Select sizes and types of molds according to instructions. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure and cut products to specified dimensions, using measuring and cutting instruments. | Not published |
| Not much | Verify dimensions of products, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, vernier gauges, or protractors. | Not published |
| Not much | Remove excess materials and level and smooth wet mold mixtures. | Not published |
| Not much | Measure ingredients and mix molding, casting material, or sealing compounds to prescribed consistencies, according to formulas. | Not published |
| Not much | Withdraw cores or other loose mold members after castings solidify. | Not published |
| Not much | Repair mold defects, such as cracks or broken edges, using patterns, mold boxes, or hand tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Patch broken edges or fractures, using clay or plaster. | Not published |
| Not much | Tap or tilt molds to ensure uniform distribution of materials. | Not published |
| Not much | Bore holes or cut grates, risers, or pouring spouts in molds, using power tools. | Not published |
| Not much | Construct or form molds for use in casting clay or plaster objects, using plaster, fiberglass, rubber, casting machines, patterns, or flasks. | Not published |
| Not much | Pour, pack, spread, or press plaster, concrete, or other materials into or around models or molds. | Not published |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. O*NET hasn't rated 2 of the tasks, so they come last, in O*NET's own order. 0 of the 24 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 24 tasks fall under 19 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #38 Select materials or equipment for operations or projects
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut materials | |||
| Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipment | |||
| Assemble products or work aids | |||
| Remove workpieces from production equipment | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects |
Show all 19 activities
| Prepare mixtures or solutions | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Repair workpieces or products | |||
| Clean workpieces, finished products, or other objects | |||
| Position tools or equipment | |||
| Position materials or components for assembly | |||
| Apply materials to fill gaps or imperfections | |||
| Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment | |||
| Drill holes in earth or materials | |||
| Engrave objects | |||
| Operate industrial processing or production equipment |
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 3,009 moves out
- 1 Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 3 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
- 4 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 5 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 3,018 moves in
- 1 Production Workers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 2 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 5%
- 3 Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers Moderate +3.8% 4%
- 4 Machinists Moderate +1.0% 4%
- 5 Engineering Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 17% less than high school
- 39% high school
- 22% some college
- 7% associate's
- 10% bachelor's
- 3% master's
- 2% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 313 people surveyed.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 3 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (CELL MAKER; PLASTER PATTERN CASTER; RUBBER-STAMP MAKER). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
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