Also called: Glass Blowers and Finishers
Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers build quality control analysis, operation and control and operations monitoring 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 Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (84%).
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 | Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 84% | $47,920 | — | None |
| 2 | Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 78% | $44,350 | — | None |
| 3 | Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders | 78% | $54,430 | — | None |
| 4 | Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 78% | $53,750 | — | None |
| 5 | Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 77% | $48,750 | — | None |
| 6 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 75% | $46,330 | — | None |
| 7 | Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters | 75% | $51,330 | — | None |
| 8 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | 75% | $41,220 | — | None |
| 9 | Foundry Mold and Coremakers | 75% | $48,110 | — | None |
| 10 | Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 74% | $43,960 | — | None |
Compared with Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers, median —. 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 glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers (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.
84% skill match · $47,920
Operations Monitoring · Operation and Control
78% skill match · $44,350
Installation · Repairing · Troubleshooting
78% skill match · $54,430
Operations Monitoring · Operation and Control · Management of Personnel Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (84% skill match, median $47,920), Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (78% skill match, median $44,350) and Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders (78% skill match, median $54,430), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
None of the 25 closest matches pays more than glass blowers, molders, benders, and finishers at the national median (BLS May 2025). Higher-paying moves usually need more training.
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.