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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Foundry Mold and Coremakers

Make or form wax or sand cores or molds used in the production of metal castings in foundries.

Also called: Core Machine Operator, Core Maker, Core Stripper, Coremaker, Green Sand Molder, Mold Maker

Median pay in Greater Boston
$47,520
$22.85/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
70
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−17.9%
10 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$43,210$45,990$47,520$59,960$77,410

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Clean and smooth molds, cores, and core boxes, and repair surface imperfections.
  • Sift and pack sand into mold sections, core boxes, and pattern contours, using hand or pneumatic ramming tools.
  • Position patterns inside mold sections, and clamp sections together.
  • Position cores into lower sections of molds, and reassemble molds for pouring.
  • Sprinkle or spray parting agents onto patterns and mold sections to facilitate removal of patterns from molds.
  • Form and assemble slab cores around patterns, and position wire in mold sections to reinforce molds, using hand tools and glue.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure2 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 2
  • Language-model AIOE 1
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 3

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. The work is physical: packing sand, positioning patterns and cores, and smoothing molds by hand. Federal projections say 3D-printed molds may replace some traditionally made molds, and Massachusetts employment is projected to fall.

Likely to change

  • 3D printers making some molds and cores
  • Digital tools guiding mold design

Still relies on people

  • Packing sand and fitting mold sections together
  • Repairing surface flaws by hand

What federal projections say

“Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as molds made with 3D printers replace traditionally crafted molds.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers

    Setting and checking forms that shape material is similar to mold work. It needs no formal credential and has a Boston median pay of $62,870.

    Pay difference
    +$15,350 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +2.9%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

  • Brickmasons and Blockmasons

    Careful layout and shaping by hand carry over. It is an apprenticeship path with a Boston median pay of $96,960.

    Pay difference
    +$49,440 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.3%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Structural Iron and Steel Workers

    Reading blueprints and working with metal carry over. This apprenticeship path pays a Boston median of $120,840.

    Pay difference
    +$73,320 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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