Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
91% skill match · $46,170 · +5% pay
Skills to add
Management of Personnel Resources
Is this right for you?
- Long hours on your feet
- Tight deadlines are common
Jobs for Former Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Also called: Plating Machine Operators
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic build operations monitoring, operation and control and quality control analysis 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 (91%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Skills you enjoy
Pick the skills you want to keep using. The list re-ranks.Sorted by skill match.
25 careers that use your skills
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic | 91% | $46,170 | +5% | None |
| 2 | Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers | 88% | $46,350 | +5% | None |
| 3 | Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 85% | $48,250 | +10% | None |
| 4 | Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders | 85% | $46,460 | +6% | None |
| 5 | Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders | 84% | $38,180 | −13% | None |
| 6 | Machine Feeders and Offbearers | 83% | $41,220 | −6% | None |
| 7 | Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders | 82% | $58,040 | +32% | None |
| 8 | Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 81% | $45,760 | +4% | None |
| 9 | Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 81% | $51,610 | +17% | None |
| 10 | Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | 80% | $50,270 | +14% | None |
- 91%
- Median pay
- $46,170
- Pay change
- +5%
Extra educationNone - 88%
- Median pay
- $46,350
- Pay change
- +5%
Extra educationNone - 85%
- Median pay
- $48,250
- Pay change
- +10%
Extra educationNone - 85%
- Median pay
- $46,460
- Pay change
- +6%
Extra educationNone - 84%
- Median pay
- $38,180
- Pay change
- −13%
Extra educationNone - 83%
- Median pay
- $41,220
- Pay change
- −6%
Extra educationNone - 82%
- Median pay
- $58,040
- Pay change
- +32%
Extra educationNone - 81%
- Median pay
- $45,760
- Pay change
- +4%
Extra educationNone - 9Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders81%
- Median pay
- $51,610
- Pay change
- +17%
Extra educationNone - 80%
- Median pay
- $50,270
- Pay change
- +14%
Extra educationNone
Compared with Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, median $43,960. 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.
Your transferable skills
How important each skill is in work as plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
Operations Monitoring3.25
Operation and Control3.12
Quality Control Analysis3.00
Time Management3.00
Coordination3.00
Judgment and Decision Making2.88
Skills to learn
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
- Operation and Control
- Installation
- Operations Monitoring
- Repairing
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
Your top 3 moves, up close
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.
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers
88% skill match · $46,350 · +5% pay
First step
- Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (74% of workers).
- On-the-job training: over 3 months, up to and including 6 months.
Skills to add
Operations Monitoring · Operation and Control · Repairing
Is this right for you?
- Tight deadlines are common
- Mistakes can have serious consequences
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
85% skill match · $48,250 · +10% pay
First step
- Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (63% of workers).
- On-the-job training: anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month.
Skills to add
Equipment Selection · Repairing · Equipment Maintenance
Is this right for you?
- Long hours on your feet
- Tight deadlines are common
- Exposure to hazardous conditions
Similar roles in the same field
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 89%
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 89%
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 88%
- Pourers and Casters, Metal 85%
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 84%
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders 81%
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers 81%
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 80%
Free help near you
Questions former plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic ask
What jobs can former plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do?
The closest matches are Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic (91% skill match, median $46,170), Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers (88% skill match, median $46,350) and Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (85% skill match, median $48,250), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Which plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic career changes pay more?
Among the 25 matches, 19 pay more than plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic at the median. The biggest increases: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers (+120%, $96,710), Locomotive Engineers (+85%, $81,410) and Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers (+41%, $61,770).
Do former plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic need another degree?
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
How is the skill match calculated?
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.