Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic
Lay out, machine, fit, and assemble castings and parts to metal or plastic foundry patterns, core boxes, or match plates.
Most important skills
- Operation and Control
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Monitoring
Key knowledge
- Mathematics
- Design
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
What the work involves
- Set up and operate machine tools, such as milling machines, lathes, drill presses, and grinders, to machine castings or patterns.
- Read and interpret blueprints or drawings of parts to be cast or patterns to be made, compute dimensions, and plan operational sequences.
- Verify conformance of patterns or template dimensions to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers.
- Design and create templates, patterns, or coreboxes according to work orders, sample parts, or mockups.
- Assemble pattern sections, using hand tools, bolts, screws, rivets, glue, or welding equipment.
- Repair and rework templates and patterns.
- Lay out and draw or scribe patterns onto material, using compasses, protractors, rulers, scribes, or other instruments.
- Clean and finish patterns or templates, using emery cloths, files, scrapers, and power grinders.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Artistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (33.3% of expert ratings)
- Related experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (30.4%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (37.7%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Patternmakers, 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 | Very low | Lower on contact with others than 88% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 92% of occupations compared | 51% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | High | Higher on teamwork than 71% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very low | Lower on freedom to make decisions than 85% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Limited freedom” |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 72% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 92% of occupations compared | 41% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Moderate | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 56% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Low | Lower on consequence of error than 63% of occupations compared | 52% of surveyed respondents chose “Serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
- Consequence of error: low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 19.98%
- Contact with others about half the time: 20.35%
- Contact with others most of the time: 27.08%
- Constant contact with others: 32.58%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 51.42%
- Fairly important: 11.62%
- Important: 23.38%
- Very important: 4.91%
- Extremely important: 8.67%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 0%
- Important: 0%
- Very important: 50.2%
- Extremely important: 49.8%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 57.57%
- Some freedom: 24.9%
- A lot of freedom: 17.54%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 25.68%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 35.34%
- Every day: 38.98%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 40.84%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 31.1%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 9.86%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 15.99%
- Every day: 2.22%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 16.35%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 38.76%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 24.62%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 3.37%
- Every day: 16.9%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 7.36%
- Fairly serious: 28.92%
- Serious: 51.71%
- Very serious: 7.1%
- Extremely serious: 4.91%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 51-4062.00 · SOC 51-4062 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8