Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Foundry Mold and Coremakers: Similar Pay, -0.9% vs -23% Growth

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Foundry Mold and Coremakers: what changes?

Consider Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders if you want to set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material. Consider Foundry Mold and Coremakers if you would rather make or form wax or sand cores or molds used in the production of metal castings in foundries. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and Foundry Mold and Coremakers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

National median pay (2025): $46,570
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Set up, operate, or tend machines that cut or slice materials, such as glass, stone, cork, rubber, tobacco, food, paper, or insulating material.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,400

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 0.9% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders brief

Foundry Mold and Coremakers

National median pay (2025): $48,110
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Clean and smooth molds, cores, and core boxes, and repair surface imperfections.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 800

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 23% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Foundry Mold and Coremakers brief

How the national numbers differ

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders has the edge on annual openings

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is at 5,400 annual openings, compared with 800 annual openings for Foundry Mold and Coremakers.

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders has the edge on projected growth

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is at -0.9% projected growth, compared with -23% projected growth for Foundry Mold and Coremakers.

Foundry Mold and Coremakers has the edge on median pay

Foundry Mold and Coremakers is at $48,110, compared with $46,570 for Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

40.9/ 100

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

24.7/ 100

Foundry Mold and Coremakers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Foundry Mold and Coremakers

Dimension	Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	Foundry Mold and Coremakers
Median pay (2025)	$46,570	$48,110
Pay percentile	22.2 percentile	27.1 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-0.9%	-23%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	5,400	800
2025 employment	45,900	12,700
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders brief Read Foundry Mold and Coremakers brief

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Foundry Mold and Coremakers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Foundry Mold and Coremakers

How the national numbers differ

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders has the edge on annual openings

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders has the edge on projected growth

Foundry Mold and Coremakers has the edge on median pay

Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Foundry Mold and Coremakers

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