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

> Mold, 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.
- **Entity Type:** role
- **Schema Version:** role.v1
- **Soc Code:** 51-9195.00
- **Summary:** Mold, 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.

## Aliases

- Caster
- Mold Mechanic
- Molder
- Molding Line Operator
- Bed Laborer
- Injection Molding Machine Operator
- Machine Operator
- Press Operator
- Adobe Block Maker
- Adobe Maker
- Almond Paste Molder
- Artificial Candy Maker

## Tasks

| Text | Type | Iwa |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced. | Core | 4.A.1.a.1.b |
| Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.an |
| Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.y |
| Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.aj |
| Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.1.h |
| Separate models or patterns from molds and examine products for accuracy. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.an |
| Set the proper operating temperature for each casting. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.i |
| Load or stack filled molds in ovens, dryers, or curing boxes, or on storage racks or carts. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.1.f |
| Align and assemble parts to produce completed products, using gauges and hand tools. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.aj |
| Operate and adjust controls of heating equipment to melt material or to cure, dry, or bake filled molds. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.i |
| Select sizes and types of molds according to instructions. | Supplemental | 4.A.2.b.1.j |
| Patch broken edges or fractures, using clay or plaster. | Supplemental | 4.A.3.a.2.am |

## Emerging Tasks


## Activities

| Name | Iwa |
| --- | --- |
| Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements. | 4.A.1.a.1.b |
| Trim excess material from workpieces. | 4.A.3.a.2.l |
| Apply parting agents or other solutions to molds. | 4.A.3.a.2.an |
| Engrave designs, text, or other markings onto materials, workpieces, or products. | 4.A.3.a.2.y |
| Build production molds. | 4.A.3.a.2.aj |
| Clean workpieces or finished products. | 4.A.3.a.1.h |
| Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces. | 4.A.3.b.5.a |
| Remove workpieces from molds. | 4.A.3.a.2.an |
| Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment. | 4.A.3.a.2.i |
| Stack finished items for further processing or shipment. | 4.A.3.a.1.f |
| Load items into ovens or furnaces. | 4.A.3.a.1.f |
| Assemble metal or plastic parts or products. | 4.A.3.a.2.aj |
| Align parts or workpieces to ensure proper assembly. | 4.A.3.a.2.ao |
| Operate heating or drying equipment. | 4.A.3.a.3.f |
| Select production equipment according to product specifications. | 4.A.2.b.1.j |
| Fill cracks, imperfections, or holes in products or workpieces. | 4.A.3.a.2.am |
| Repair templates, patterns, or molds. | 4.A.3.b.4.b |
| Measure materials to mark reference points, cutting lines, or other indicators. | 4.A.1.b.3.a |
| Cut industrial materials in preparation for fabrication or processing. | 4.A.3.a.2.l |
| Smooth metal surfaces or edges. | 4.A.3.a.2.o |
| Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes. | 4.A.1.b.3.a |
| Mix substances to create chemical solutions. | 4.A.3.a.1.a |
| Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications. | 4.A.1.b.3.a |
| Drill holes in parts, equipment, or materials. | 4.A.3.a.2.ad |
| Adjust position of molds during processing. | 4.A.3.a.2.v |
| Place materials into molds. | 4.A.3.a.1.f |

## Capabilities

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | ability | 3.5 |
| Manual Dexterity | ability | 3.38 |
| Finger Dexterity | ability | 3.38 |
| Production and Processing | knowledge | 3.27 |
| Control Precision | ability | 3.25 |
| Near Vision | ability | 3.25 |
| Oral Comprehension | ability | 3.12 |
| Selective Attention | ability | 3.12 |
| Multilimb Coordination | ability | 3.12 |
| Mechanical | knowledge | 3.02 |
| Operation and Control | transferable_skill | 3 |
| Deductive Reasoning | ability | 3 |
| Inductive Reasoning | ability | 3 |
| Information Ordering | ability | 3 |
| Extent Flexibility | ability | 3 |
| Administration and Management | knowledge | 2.89 |
| Reading Comprehension | essential_skill | 2.88 |
| Active Listening | essential_skill | 2.88 |
| Operations Monitoring | transferable_skill | 2.88 |
| Written Comprehension | ability | 2.88 |
| Oral Expression | ability | 2.88 |
| Problem Sensitivity | ability | 2.88 |
| Category Flexibility | ability | 2.88 |
| Visualization | ability | 2.88 |
| Rate Control | ability | 2.88 |
| Reaction Time | ability | 2.88 |
| Trunk Strength | ability | 2.88 |
| Far Vision | ability | 2.88 |
| Speech Recognition | ability | 2.88 |
| Speech Clarity | ability | 2.88 |
| Speaking | essential_skill | 2.75 |
| Monitoring | essential_skill | 2.75 |
| Quality Control Analysis | transferable_skill | 2.75 |
| Perceptual Speed | ability | 2.75 |
| Static Strength | ability | 2.75 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | ability | 2.75 |
| English Language | knowledge | 2.65 |
| Writing | essential_skill | 2.62 |
| Critical Thinking | essential_skill | 2.62 |
| Social Perceptiveness | transferable_skill | 2.62 |

## Skills

| Name | Type |
| --- | --- |
| Finger Dexterity | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Word | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Outlook | Common Skill |
| Microsoft Excel | Common Skill |
| Information Ordering | Specialized Skill |
| Inductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Deductive Reasoning | Common Skill |
| Visualization | Specialized Skill |
| Speech Recognition | Specialized Skill |
| Reading Comprehension | Common Skill |
| Active Listening | Common Skill |
| English Language | Common Skill |
| Writing | Common Skill |
| Time Management | Common Skill |
| Social Perceptiveness | Common Skill |
| Mathematics | Common Skill |
| Critical Thinking | Common Skill |
| Complex Problem Solving | Common Skill |
| Instructing | Specialized Skill |
| Equipment Selection | Specialized Skill |
| Depth Perception | Common Skill |
| Active Learning | Common Skill |
| Physics | Specialized Skill |
| Negotiation | Common Skill |
| Learning Strategies | Specialized Skill |
| Equipment Maintenance | Specialized Skill |
| Chemistry | Specialized Skill |
| Systems Analysis | Specialized Skill |
| Psychology | Specialized Skill |
| Telecommunications | Specialized Skill |
| Geography | Specialized Skill |
| Foreign Language | Common Skill |
| Installation | Specialized Skill |
| Biology | Specialized Skill |

## Tools

| Example | Category | Hot | In Demand |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dassault Systemes SolidWorks | Computer aided design CAD software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Excel | Spreadsheet software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Office software | Office suite software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Outlook | Electronic mail software | yes | no |
| Microsoft Word | Word processing software | yes | no |
| Inventory control software | Inventory management software | no | no |
| Mastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software | Computer aided manufacturing CAM software | no | no |
| Timekeeping software | Time accounting software | no | no |

## Work Context

| Name | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | 4.96 |
| Spend Time Standing | 4.75 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | 4.59 |
| Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions | 4.28 |
| Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable | 4.16 |
| Importance of Being Exact or Accurate | 4.11 |
| Time Pressure | 4.11 |
| Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team | 4.1 |
| Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled | 4.04 |
| Contact With Others | 3.99 |
| Spend Time Walking or Running | 3.85 |
| Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams | 3.79 |
| Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment | 3.77 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | 3.72 |
| Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities | 3.61 |
| Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body | 3.53 |
| Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings | 3.52 |
| Importance of Repeating Same Tasks | 3.49 |
| Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers | 3.43 |
| Health and Safety of Other Workers | 3.42 |
| Physical Proximity | 3.42 |
| Consequence of Error | 3.4 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Equipment | 3.33 |
| Freedom to Make Decisions | 3.32 |
| Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures | 3.26 |
| Level of Competition | 3.1 |
| Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals | 2.95 |
| Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions | 2.74 |
| Degree of Automation | 2.73 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | 2.53 |
| Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results | 2.51 |
| Deal With External Customers or the Public in General | 2.26 |
| Conflict Situations | 2.22 |
| Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions | 2.18 |
| Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People | 2.17 |
| Indoors, Environmentally Controlled | 2.14 |
| Frequency of Decision Making | 2.05 |
| Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling | 2.02 |
| In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment | 1.97 |
| Written Letters and Memos | 1.94 |

## Preparation

- **Job Zone:** 2
- **Job Zone Name:** Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- **Education:** Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- **Experience:** Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- **Svp Range:** (Below 6.0)

### Education Distribution


## Person Fit

| Name | Family | Value |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Realistic | career_interest_type | 6.64 |
| Physical/Manual Labor | specific_interest_area | 5.25 |
| Conventional | career_interest_type | 4.29 |
| Construction/Woodwork | specific_interest_area | 2.33 |
| Investigative | career_interest_type | 2.25 |
| Artistic | career_interest_type | 2.14 |
| Engineering | specific_interest_area | 2.11 |
| Mechanics/Electronics | specific_interest_area | 2.06 |
| Attention to Detail | work_style | 1.92 |
| Dependability | work_style | 1.83 |
| Applied Arts and Design | specific_interest_area | 1.79 |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | specific_interest_area | 1.7 |
| Visual Arts | specific_interest_area | 1.69 |
| Culinary Art | specific_interest_area | 1.31 |
| Physical Science | specific_interest_area | 1.22 |
| Mathematics/Statistics | specific_interest_area | 1.2 |

## Related Roles

| Soc Code | Slug | Title | Tier |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 51-4071.00 | role-51-4071-00 | Foundry Mold and Coremakers | Primary-Short |
| 51-9022.00 | role-51-9022-00 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | Primary-Short |
| 51-4072.00 | role-51-4072-00 | Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Primary-Short |
| 51-9041.00 | role-51-9041-00 | Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Primary-Short |
| 51-9032.00 | role-51-9032-00 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | Primary-Short |
| 51-9031.00 | role-51-9031-00 | Cutters and Trimmers, Hand | Primary-Long |
| 51-9195.03 | role-51-9195-03 | Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing | Primary-Long |
| 53-7063.00 | role-53-7063-00 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | Primary-Long |
| 51-9195.04 | role-51-9195-04 | Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers | Primary-Long |
| 51-9195.05 | role-51-9195-05 | Potters, Manufacturing | Primary-Long |
| 51-9123.00 | role-51-9123-00 | Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers | Supplemental |
| 49-9045.00 | role-49-9045-00 | Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons | Supplemental |

## Career Clusters

| Cluster | Slug |
| --- | --- |
| Advanced Manufacturing | advanced-manufacturing |

## Education Level

- **Category:** High school diploma or equivalent

## Study Programs


## Market

- **Median Wage:** 45690
- **Mean Wage:** 46730
- **Pct10Wage:** 34950
- **Pct25Wage:** 38500
- **Pct75Wage:** 51340
- **Pct90Wage:** 61050
- **Employment:** 34750
- **Area Title:** U.S.

## Industries


### Top

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Median Wage | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 31-33 | 31-33 | Manufacturing | Sector | 28900 | 45490 | 10.05 |
| 23 | 23 | Construction | Sector | 3060 | 48720 | 1.67 |
| 44-45 | 44-45 | Retail Trade | Sector | 840 | 49730 | 0.24 |
| 56 | 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | Sector | 840 | 36100 | 0.41 |
| 561320 | 561320 | Temporary Help Services | National industry | 790 | 36100 | 1.32 |
| 42 | 42 | Wholesale Trade | Sector | 520 | 43310 | 0.38 |
| 238140 | 238140 | Masonry Contractors | National industry | 320 | 46630 | 9.89 |
| 21 | 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | Sector | 140 | 48040 | 1.08 |
| 81 | 81 | Other Services (except Public Administration) | Sector | 40 | 41700 |  |
| 71 | 71 | Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | Sector |  | 30670 |  |

### Concentrated

| Naics | Slug | Title | Level | Employment | Lq |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 31-33 | 31-33 | Manufacturing | Sector | 28900 | 10.05 |
| 238140 | 238140 | Masonry Contractors | National industry | 320 | 9.89 |
| 23 | 23 | Construction | Sector | 3060 | 1.67 |
| 561320 | 561320 | Temporary Help Services | National industry | 790 | 1.32 |
| 21 | 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | Sector | 140 | 1.08 |
| 56 | 56 | Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | Sector | 840 | 0.41 |
| 42 | 42 | Wholesale Trade | Sector | 520 | 0.38 |
| 44-45 | 44-45 | Retail Trade | Sector | 840 | 0.24 |
- **Count:** 10

## Ai Signals

| Source | Label | Score | Scale | Release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| frey_osborne | Computerization probability | 0.9 | 0-1 probability | 2013-baseline-2016-employment-snapshot |
| felten_aioe | AI occupational exposure | -1.183408 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_image_generation_aioe | Image generation occupational exposure | -0.6597264 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |
| felten_language_modeling_aioe | Language modeling occupational exposure | -1.241238 | relative exposure score | 2021-plus-generative-ai-workbooks |

## Ai Outlook


### Index

- **Value:** 14
- **Percentile:** 10
- **Band:** Low
- **Version:** ai-exposure-index-v1

#### Components

| Percentile | Source |
| --- | --- |
| 11 | felten_aioe |
| 3 | openai_gpts_are_gpts |
| 28 | microsoft_working_with_ai |
- **Component Count:** 3

### Exposure

| Source | Label | Value | Percentile | Band | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| felten_aioe | Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) | -1.183408 | 11 | Low | How much this job's abilities overlap with what AI systems can do, across many AI capabilities. A relative research score, not a forecast of job loss. |
| eloundou_gamma | LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) | 0 | 3 | Low | Share of this job's tasks where a large language model plus simple tools could cut the time to do them by at least half. γ is capped at 1.0 and many jobs reach that ceiling, so treat a top score as 'in the top group', not a precise rank. |
| microsoft_applicability | AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) | 0.09271559239213881 | 28 | Low | How applicable today's AI assistants are to this job's activities, measured from real Microsoft Copilot conversations. Applicability is not the same as replacement. |

### Frey Historical

- **Source:** frey
- **Label:** Computerization probability (Frey & Osborne, 2013)
- **Value:** 0.9
- **Percentile:** 78
- **Band:** High
- **Note:** A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
- **Teleworkable:** no

### Eloundou

- **Alpha:** 0
- **Beta:** 0
- **Gamma:** 0

### Usage Tasks

| Task | Usage Percent | Importance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Verify dimensions of products, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, vernier gauges, or protractors. | 0.016844077252689917 | 3.6 |
- **Usage Release:** 2026-01-15-v4-plus-2025-03-27-v2

### Bls

- **Growth Percent:** 6.2
- **Growth Percentile:** 82
- **Direction:** About average
- **Annual Openings Thousands:** 5.5
- **Annual Openings Percentile:** 51
- **Employment2024Thousands:** 41.7
- **Employment2034Thousands:** 44.3

### Sources

| Source | Version |
| --- | --- |
| bls_employment_projections | 2024-2034 |
| dingel_neiman | dingel-neiman-workathome |
| felten_aioe | felten-raj-seamans-aioe |
| frey_osborne | frey-osborne-automation |
| microsoft_working_with_ai | working-with-ai |
| openai_gpts_are_gpts | gpts-are-gpts |

## Counts

- **Tasks:** 24
- **Skills:** 34
- **Capabilities:** 120
- **Tools:** 8
- **Related Roles:** 20

## Source

- **Dataset:** gold.onet_role_starter_surface
- **Version:** 30.3
- **Generated At:** 2026-06-02T21:00:32.945303+00:00
- **Content Hash:** 1b5c8abb860fb100