Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 51-9195 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$46,176
$22.20/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is $46,176 per year ($22.20/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $39,270 and $52,998 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $61,526 per year. There are approximately 33,190 molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
+6.2%
Faster than average
Annual openings
6K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
42K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
5% from new growth95% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Long-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing
NAICS 327000
22K
$46,190
Building Finishing Contractors
NAICS 238300
3K
$50,400
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing
NAICS 339900
1K
$43,460
Employment Services
NAICS 561300
1K
$36,060
Plastics Product Manufacturing
NAICS 326100
980
$39,480
Wage range across top 5 industries: $36,060 to $50,400 (40% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.24
$35,859
P25
$18.88
$39,270
P50MEDIAN
$22.20
$46,176
P75
$25.48
$52,998
P90
$29.58
$61,526
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic salary?
The national median salary for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is $46,176 per year ($22.20/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $39,270 and $52,998 annually.
How much do top-earning molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic make?
The 90th percentile salary for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is $61,526 per year ($29.58/hr). The 75th percentile is $52,998 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic?
Entry-level Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,859 per year ($17.24/hr). The 25th percentile is $39,270 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
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