Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic
US occupation · SOC 51-4062
Job titles people report: Die Cast Die Maker, Fixture Builder, Journeyman Patternmaker, Layout Technician (Layout Tech), Metal Mold Maker, Metal Patternmaker, Model Maker, Mold Maker, Pattern Repair Person, Wax Molder
Pay and outlook
- Median annual wage, May 2025
- $58,000
- Half earn more, half earn less
- Middle half earn
- $49,070 – $69,960
- 25th to 75th percentile
- People employed, May 2025
- 1,470
- Wage and salary jobs (OEWS)
- Projected change, 2025–35
- -22.8%
- Shrinking (below 0%)
- Openings a year (projected)
- 100
- New jobs plus replacing people who leave
- Typical education to enter
- High school diploma or equivalent
- BLS
- All figures are for the United States as a whole. Pay varies a lot by state and city.
- Wages are for everyone working in the occupation in May 2025, at every career stage. They are not starting salaries or figures for new graduates.
- Growth and openings are BLS projections for 2025–35. They are estimates, not promises. Openings include jobs that open up when people retire or change occupation, not just new jobs.
What the work involves
Lay out, machine, fit, and assemble castings and parts to metal or plastic foundry patterns, core boxes, or match plates.
Main tasks
- Read and interpret blueprints or drawings of parts to be cast or patterns to be made, compute dimensions, and plan operational sequences.
- Verify conformance of patterns or template dimensions to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers.
- Assemble pattern sections, using hand tools, bolts, screws, rivets, glue, or welding equipment.
- Repair and rework templates and patterns.
- Clean and finish patterns or templates, using emery cloths, files, scrapers, and power grinders.
- Set up and operate machine tools, such as milling machines, lathes, drill presses, and grinders, to machine castings or patterns.
- Mark identification numbers or symbols onto patterns or templates.
- Lay out and draw or scribe patterns onto material, using compasses, protractors, rulers, scribes, or other instruments.
Description and tasks from the O*NET® 31.0 Database.
Getting in
- Typical education to enter (BLS)
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Training once hired: moderate-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone 3
- Medium preparation
- Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Interests it suits
The strongest of the six O*NET interest types for this occupation, highest first. The short glosses are ours.
- Realistic: hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
- Conventional: organising information, records and procedures
- Artistic: creating, designing and self-expression
Fields of study that lead here
From the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk, which links 1 programme to this occupation. A link means the programme prepares people for this kind of work. It doesn't mean the programme is required, or that it's the only route.
Fields
Our college matcher doesn't offer this field as a major, so we can't suggest colleges for it here.
Precision Production
- Sheet Metal Technology/Sheetworking
Related careers
Related occupations from the O*NET database, in its order.
- Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers
$62,750 median · -15% projected
- Patternmakers, Wood
$49,630 median · -2% projected
- Tool and Die Makers
$64,050 median · -9.2% projected
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic
$63,870 median · -3.4% projected
- Model Makers, Metal and Plastic
$63,340 median · -17.3% projected
- Etchers and Engravers
$43,310 median · -0.7% projected
Sources
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CollegeMatcher has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0
Changes: we show the core tasks in the O*NET database with the highest importance ratings (up to eight, in that order), the top three O*NET interest types by score, and shortened Job Zone names. Titles, descriptions and task text are unchanged.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Projections, typical entry education and training: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35. Fields of study: NCES and BLS CIP 2020–SOC 2018 Crosswalk. All public domain. OEWS · Employment Projections · CIP–SOC crosswalk