How to hire molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
$21.32U.S. median hourly pay
$37,270–$51,020Middle half, yearly
150,470People in this job in the U.S.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools. • 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. • Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-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. • Remove parts, such as dies, from machines after production runs are finished. • 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. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, critical thinking and speaking skills • Working knowledge of production and processing • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $21.32 an hour ($44,350 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-cycle times. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do
- Connect water hoses to cooling systems of dies, using hand tools.
- 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.
- Observe meters and gauges to verify and record temperatures, pressures, and press-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.
- Remove parts, such as dies, from machines after production runs are finished.
- 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.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 6 months to 1 year (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -3.4% over ten years, declining · about 13,800 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $49,590 |
| Nebraska | $48,500 |
| Washington | $48,290 |
| Colorado | $48,200 |
| New Hampshire | $47,610 |
| Alabama | $39,010 |
| Tennessee | $38,820 |
| Florida | $38,440 |
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.