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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Tool and Die Makers

Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists' hand tools.

Also called: Die Machinist, Die Repair Laborer, Die Repair Technician (Die Repair Tech), Jig and Fixture Repairer, Tool and Die Machinist, Tool and Die Maker

Median pay in Greater Boston
$77,620
$37.32/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
370
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−7.4%
80 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
Postsecondary nondegree award
plus Long-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
$49,020$58,000$77,620$91,350$100,560

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

What you’d do

  • Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators.
  • Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
  • Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
  • Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
  • Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools, hand tools, or welders.
  • Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.

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 exposure28 of 100

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

  • AIOE 32
  • Language-model AIOE 27
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 24

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 specifications, working out dimensions and tolerances, and planning the order of operations. Fitting parts by hand, running machine tools, and checking finished work with precision instruments rely on skilled people. Massachusetts projections show this occupation shrinking by 7.4% from 2024 to 2034.

Likely to change

  • Computing dimensions and tolerances from specifications
  • Planning operation sequences from blueprints and models

Still relies on people

  • Fitting and assembling parts by hand
  • Checking finished parts with precision instruments

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.

  • Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door

    Precision hand-tool and repair skills carry over to fixing valves and controls. The Boston median is $95,520, with moderate-term on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$17,900 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.8%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians

    Careful inspection and following exact specifications carry over. Aircraft mechanics have a Boston median of $93,280 and Massachusetts growth of 6.5%, with a postsecondary nondegree award.

    Pay difference
    +$15,660 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +6.5%
    To get started
    Postsecondary nondegree award

  • Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

    Testing components and working with tools and specifications carry over. The Boston median is $78,530 and Massachusetts growth is 9.9%.

    Pay difference
    +$910 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +9.9%
    To get started
    Postsecondary nondegree award

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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