Foundry Mold and Coremakers build operations monitoring, time management and operation and control skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic (92%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | 92% | $46,170 | −4% | None |
| 2 | Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators | 92% | $46,880 | −3% | None |
| 3 | Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons | 87% | $61,290 | +27% | None |
| 4 | Tire Builders | 86% | $57,390 | +19% | None |
| 5 | Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | 85% | $46,350 | −4% | None |
| 6 | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | 84% | $42,660 | −11% | None |
| 7 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 83% | $51,330 | +7% | None |
| 8 | Terrazzo Workers and Finishers | 82% | $76,170 | +58% | None |
| 9 | Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 80% | $46,570 | −3% | None |
| 10 | Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 79% | $45,760 | −5% | None |
Compared with Foundry Mold and Coremakers, median $48,110. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as foundry mold and coremakers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
92% skill match · $46,170 · −4% pay
Management of Personnel Resources · Operation and Control · Quality Control Analysis
92% skill match · $46,880 · −3% pay
Instructing · Coordination · Technology Design
87% skill match · $61,290 · +27% pay
Repairing · Equipment Maintenance · Troubleshooting
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic (92% skill match, median $46,170), Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators (92% skill match, median $46,880) and Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons (87% skill match, median $61,290), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 13 pay more than foundry mold and coremakers at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+101%, $96,710), Terrazzo Workers and Finishers (+58%, $76,170) and Brickmasons and Blockmasons (+29%, $62,120).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.