Tool and Die Makers
Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists' hand tools.
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Quality Control Analysis
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Equipment Selection
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Time Management
Key knowledge
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Design
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
What the work involves
- Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
- Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators.
- Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
- Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
- File, grind, shim, and adjust different parts to properly fit them together.
- Conduct test runs with completed tools or dies to ensure that parts meet specifications, making adjustments as necessary.
- Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.
- Smooth and polish flat and contoured surfaces of parts or tools, using scrapers, abrasive stones, files, emery cloths, or power grinders.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Post-Secondary Certificate (40.9% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years (25%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (28.1%)
- 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 Tool and Die Makers 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 64% of occupations compared | 49% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 95% of occupations compared | 59% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 72% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very high | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 94% of occupations compared | 83% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Very high | Higher on time pressure than 81% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day” |
| Conflict situations | Very low | Lower on conflict situations than 83% of occupations compared | 48% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Very low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 88% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Very high | Higher on consequence of error than 86% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Very serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: very high
- Conflict situations: very low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: very low
- Consequence of error: very high
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: 3.24%
- Occasional contact with others: 0%
- Contact with others about half the time: 9%
- Contact with others most of the time: 49.49%
- Constant contact with others: 38.27%
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2021
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 58.53%
- Fairly important: 14.86%
- Important: 13.45%
- Very important: 10.68%
- Extremely important: 2.48%
n = 17, Incumbent 08/2021
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 0%
- Fairly important: 7.35%
- Important: 21.78%
- Very important: 35.77%
- Extremely important: 35.1%
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2021
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 2.26%
- Limited freedom: 2.26%
- Some freedom: 12.84%
- A lot of freedom: 82.64%
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2021
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 11.26%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 48.28%
- Every day: 40.46%
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2021
Conflict situations
- Never: 16.35%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 48.28%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 25.36%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 7.75%
- Every day: 2.26%
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2021
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 25.69%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 42.43%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 27.37%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 2.26%
- Every day: 2.26%
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2021
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 0%
- Fairly serious: 9.72%
- Serious: 19.93%
- Very serious: 43.97%
- Extremely serious: 26.39%
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2021
Is this career right for me? Find jobs with conditions you prefer
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O*NET-SOC 51-4111.00 · SOC 51-4111 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8