Machinists vs Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic: Similar Pay, 1% vs -22.8% Growth

Machinists vs Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic: what changes?

Consider Machinists if you want to set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Consider Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic if you would rather lay out, machine, fit, and assemble castings and parts to metal or plastic foundry patterns, core boxes, or match plates. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Machinists and Patternmakers, 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

Machinists

National median pay (2025): $58,750
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: Calculate dimensions or tolerances, using instruments, such as micrometers or vernier calipers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 26,100

Know before you choose

Hands-on manipulation of tools, controls, or objects occupies a meaningful part of the workday.

See the full Machinists brief

Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic

National median pay (2025): $58,000
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: Verify conformance of patterns or template dimensions to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 100

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 22.8% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic brief

How the national numbers differ

Machinists has the edge on annual openings

Machinists is at 26,100 annual openings, compared with 100 annual openings for Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic.

Machinists has the edge on projected growth

Machinists is at 1% projected growth, compared with -22.8% projected growth for Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic.

National pay benchmarks are very similar.

Compare actual offers, expected paid hours, schedule, and benefits before treating either career as the higher-paying option.

53.8/ 100

Machinists

20.6/ 100

Patternmakers, 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