Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Median $44,350
Occupation · SOC 51-4071
Foundry Mold and Coremakers: pay and where the jobs are
What foundry mold and coremakers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$48,110 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $49,860
- Median hourly wage
- $23.13
- Mean hourly wage
- $23.97
- Employment
- 12,790
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4071.
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See where your pay falls among foundry mold and coremakers nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do foundry mold and coremakers make?
The median annual wage for foundry mold and coremakers was $48,110 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $37,160 and the highest-paid 10% more than $62,640. As an hourly rate, the median is $23.13. About 12,790 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Oregon ($67,060), Missouri ($61,480) and Illinois ($57,110). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in Missouri.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for foundry mold and coremakers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,160 | $17.87 | $3,097 | $2,670 |
| 25th percentile | $41,870 | $20.13 | $3,489 | $2,985 |
| Median | $48,110 | $23.13 | $4,009 | $3,403 |
| 75th percentile | $57,350 | $27.57 | $4,779 | $4,022 |
| 90th percentile | $62,640 | $30.12 | $5,220 | $4,376 |
Foundry Mold and Coremakers: pay by state
33 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$54,645 take-home in national prices
2
$49,430 take-home in national prices
3
$46,245 take-home in national prices
Where a median foundry mold and coremaker paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 270 | $67,060 | $48,790 | $79,610 | $51,092 | $49,430 |
| Missouri | 590 | $61,480 | $51,630 | $61,680 | $49,627 | $54,645 |
| Illinois | 390 | $57,110 | $41,240 | $62,640 | $45,386 | $45,405 |
| Minnesota | 470 | $56,840 | $51,020 | $76,650 | $45,259 | $45,892 |
| Massachusetts | 60 | $55,940 | $47,440 | $77,730 | $44,293 | $41,882 |
| New Jersey | 330 | $55,210 | $49,610 | $62,710 | $44,616 | $41,006 |
| New York | 110 | $54,380 | $39,220 | $73,390 | $43,269 | $40,093 |
| Alabama | 850 | $51,040 | $37,180 | $55,340 | $41,076 | $46,245 |
| Indiana | 720 | $49,860 | $37,870 | $59,920 | $40,801 | $43,718 |
| Iowa | 480 | $49,060 | $43,250 | $57,580 | $40,387 | $46,019 |
| Ohio | 980 | $49,040 | $39,420 | $64,080 | $40,679 | $43,847 |
| Washington | 160 | $48,440 | $36,940 | $63,500 | $40,430 | $37,780 |
| Kansas | 150 | $47,910 | $32,120 | $55,000 | $38,802 | $43,081 |
| Connecticut | 110 | $47,310 | $36,290 | $104,080 | $38,078 | $36,751 |
| California | 420 | $46,930 | $38,280 | $61,970 | $38,418 | $34,699 |
| North Carolina | 260 | $46,910 | $32,270 | $62,100 | $38,509 | $40,826 |
| Georgia | 220 | $46,220 | $37,290 | $63,340 | $37,760 | $39,214 |
| Michigan | 2,050 | $46,150 | $38,180 | $59,540 | $37,551 | $39,027 |
| Nebraska | 90 | $45,910 | $38,960 | $57,500 | $37,859 | $42,018 |
| Utah | 110 | $44,970 | $35,100 | $61,000 | $36,930 | $37,355 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,230 | $44,750 | $38,280 | $57,900 | $36,731 | $37,646 |
| Wisconsin | 1,270 | $44,130 | $32,480 | $62,490 | $36,351 | $38,632 |
| Kentucky | Not published | $43,610 | $26,940 | $62,640 | $35,812 | $39,721 |
| Oklahoma | 120 | $43,550 | $35,670 | $47,600 | $35,758 | $40,707 |
| New Hampshire | 40 | $43,210 | $37,940 | $54,890 | $36,899 | $35,424 |
| Virginia | 110 | $43,130 | $40,090 | $71,410 | $35,169 | $34,785 |
| Colorado | 40 | $42,240 | $39,270 | $48,440 | $34,784 | $33,754 |
| Arkansas | 60 | $42,200 | $37,230 | $63,060 | $35,014 | $40,275 |
| Texas | 230 | $42,190 | $35,020 | $51,770 | $36,080 | $37,174 |
| South Carolina | 150 | $41,100 | $36,680 | $48,910 | $34,678 | $36,991 |
| Mississippi | 70 | $39,560 | $29,420 | $46,660 | $33,116 | $38,085 |
| Florida | 140 | $38,330 | $34,780 | $70,160 | $32,978 | $31,889 |
| Tennessee | 190 | $37,310 | $33,790 | $45,400 | $32,159 | $35,004 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4071. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.