Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
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.
Most important skills
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Operations Monitoring
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Writing
Key knowledge
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Administration and Management
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
What the work involves
- Construct or form molds for use in casting clay or plaster objects, using plaster, fiberglass, rubber, casting machines, patterns, or flasks.
- Pour, pack, spread, or press plaster, concrete, or other materials into or around models or molds.
- Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced.
- Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws.
- Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage.
- Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products.
- Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges.
- Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic: no education distribution in the dataset.
- Licensing for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 76% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 88% of occupations compared | — |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 64% of occupations compared | — |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 93% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 70% of occupations compared | — |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 87% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 87% of occupations compared | — |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 68% of occupations compared | — |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: high
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
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O*NET-SOC 51-9195.00 · SOC 51-9195 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8