Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic vs Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic: Similar Pay, 0.7% vs 5.8% Growth

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic vs Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic: what changes?

Consider Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic if you want to set up, operate, or tend machines to extrude or draw thermoplastic or metal materials into tubes, rods, hoses, wire, bars, or structural shapes. Consider Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic if you would rather 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. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic and Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic. 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

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

National median pay (2025): $47,720
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: Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,400

Know before you choose

BLS projects essentially flat employment (0.7%) through 2035. Annual openings mostly reflect replacement, not a rapidly expanding field.

See the full Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic brief

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

National median pay (2025): $46,170
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than 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 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 5,100

Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic brief

How the national numbers differ

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic has the edge on projected growth

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is at 5.8% projected growth, compared with 0.7% projected growth for Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic has the edge on median pay

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is at $47,720, compared with $46,170 for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic.

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic has the edge on annual openings

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is at 5,400 annual openings, compared with 5,100 annual openings for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic.

43.8/ 100

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

53.2/ 100

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

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

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic vs Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

Dimension	Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
Median pay (2025)	$47,720	$46,170
Pay percentile	25.6 percentile	20.7 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	0.7%	5.8%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	5,400	5,100
2025 employment	60,900	43,000
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 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 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 Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic brief Read Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic brief

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic vs Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

How the national numbers differ

Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic has the edge on projected growth

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic has the edge on median pay

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic has the edge on annual openings

Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic vs Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic

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