Metal & Plastic Casting Machine Operator

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Metal & Plastic Casting Machine Operator

Perfect for those who love crafting precision parts from metal and plastic.
Ensure quality and functionality in products used worldwide.
Operate machines that shape the future of manufacturing.

💰 Earn $38K-$49K

📚 High School Diploma or GED

⏱️ 6–12 MONTH TRAINING

📈 -2.5% JOB GROWTH

Metal & Plastic Casting Machine Operator

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What You’ll Do

Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.

Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.
Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary.
Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times.
Read specifications, blueprints, and work orders to determine setups, temperatures, and time settings required to mold, form, or cast plastic materials, as well as to plan production sequences.

Scoop

Minimum Education

High School Diploma or GED

Career Prospects

Shaky (Decreasing by 1-5%)

Training Time

6 months to 1 year

Job Openings

15,100 Annually

Median Earnings

$44,640 in California

$38,870 Nationally

$25K

$50K

$75K

$100K

$125K

$150K

$175K

$200K

$225K

$250K

Best For You If...

YOU Like 💕

Thinking and problem solving
Using data or completing tasks
Working with my hands

You are skilled in 💫

Active Listening
Critical Thinking
Monitoring
Operation and Control
Operations Monitoring
Reading Comprehension

You value 🙏

Having support
Having freedom
Personal relationships

Deep Dive

Metal & Plastic Casting Machine Operator

Explore career pathways, key skills, and what each role has to offer.

Pathways to this Career

Learn about the education and training paths that can lead to this career — and what to expect from each one.

Strategic Employment

Strategic employment provides individuals with valuable work experience, opportunities for professional growth and networking, and exposure to an industry where they may want to pursue advancement.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ FINISH IN 1-3 years

Vocational School

A vocational school typically equips students with specialized skills and practical training in specific trades or occupations, enhancing their employability and providing direct pathways to relevant careers.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Workforce Development Program

A workforce development program typically enhances participants' opportunities to succeed in the workforce through employment skill-building, career counseling, connections to employers, and pathways to high-demand and high-wage jobs.

🎓 Skills-Focused

⏱️ FINISH IN 6 months - 2 years

Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship typically offers a combination of hands-on training and classroom instruction, leading to practical skills, industry-specific knowledge, and the potential for long-term employment in a specific trade or profession.

🎓 Paid Work

⏱️ FINISH IN 2-5 years