Also called: Molding Technician
Runs machines that melt plastic pellets and inject them into molds to make everything from bottle caps to car parts.
You watch a huge press clamp shut, inject molten plastic and pop out a finished part every 20 seconds. You check parts for bubbles and short fills, adjust the temperature, and swap molds when the next job starts. Good operators become molding technicians who 'tune' the process.
BLS molding, coremaking and casting machine setters (metal and plastic); approximate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school plus on-the-job training; RJG or SPE molding certificates help.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Certification. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Plastics Technology (certificate).
Shrinking (about -3% over 10 years).
High risk for 10 years. Robots already pull parts and vision checks quality; molding plants run with few operators and process techs.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply at plastics plants or through a staffing agency; new hires are trained on the job
Classes: Manufacturing CTE, Chemistry, Algebra.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-4072.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.