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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.

Also called: Core Machine Operator, Die Cast Technician, Diecast Machine Operator, Machine Operator, Mold Setter, Mold Technician

Median pay in Greater Boston
$43,940
$21.12/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,690
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−2.4%
420 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
$36,900$38,310$43,940$48,740$61,180

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

What you’d do

  • 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.
  • Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times.

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 exposure12 of 100

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

  • AIOE 12
  • Language-model AIOE 14
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 9

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. AI tools could help with reading work orders and planning production runs. Watching machines, fixing jams, and measuring parts still rely on people. Federal projections say more programmed machinery may reduce how many workers are needed.

Likely to change

  • Planning production runs from work orders
  • Machine settings adjusted by software

Still relies on people

  • Spotting jams and defects while machines run
  • Measuring and inspecting finished parts by hand

What federal projections say

“Productivity change - share decreases as more processes can be performed by programmed machinery and improvements in software and equipment are expected to increase efficiency, allowing more output to be produced with the same amount of labor.”
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.

  • Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    Setting machine controls and checking products for defects carry over closely. Boston median pay is $51,220, with similar training.

    Pay difference
    +$7,280 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +3.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

    Inspecting workpieces and measuring them against specifications carry over. Boston median pay is $63,770 with moderate on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$19,830 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

    Reading work orders and shaping products build on your molding experience. Massachusetts growth is projected at 6.7%, with a Boston median pay of $55,530.

    Pay difference
    +$11,590 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.7%
    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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