Tool and Die Makers build operation and control, operations monitoring 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 Industrial Machinery Mechanics (82%).
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 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | 82% | $64,520 | +1% | None |
| 2 | Maintenance Workers, Machinery | 75% | $60,850 | −5% | None |
| 3 | Automotive Engineering Technicians | 74% | $74,510Pay for the broader BLS group “Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door | 73% | $74,340 | +16% | None |
| 5 | Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians | 73% | $73,900 | +15% | None |
| 6 | Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians | 73% | $82,890 | +29% | None |
| 7 | Robotics Technicians | 73% | $73,900Pay for the broader BLS group “Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians” | Not compared | None |
| 8 | Photonics Technicians | 72% | $78,350Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 9 | Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 72% | $61,770 | −4% | None |
| 10 | Boilermakers | 72% | $76,410 | +19% | None |
Compared with Tool and Die Makers, median $64,050. 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 tool and die makers (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.
82% skill match · $64,520 · +1% pay
Repairing · Installation · Equipment Maintenance
75% skill match · $60,850 · −5% pay
Installation · Repairing · Equipment Maintenance
74% skill match · $74,510 (broader BLS group)
Installation · Service Orientation · Management of Material Resources
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Industrial Machinery Mechanics (82% skill match, median $64,520), Maintenance Workers, Machinery (75% skill match, median $60,850) and Automotive Engineering Technicians (74% skill match, median $74,510), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 13 pay more than tool and die makers at the median. The biggest increases: Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay (+61%, $103,020), Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment (+33%, $84,890) and Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians (+29%, $82,890).
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.