Foundry Mold and Coremakers
Make or form wax or sand cores or molds used in the production of metal castings in foundries.
Also called: Airset Caster, Airset Molder, Bond Runner, Core Baker, Core Drier, Core Machine Operator
Median pay
$48,110
per year, U.S.
Pay range (10th–90th)
$37,160 – $62,640
People employed
12,790
Holland code
RCI
Realistic · Conventional · Investigative
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Is this career right for you?
These are the things that stand out in this job compared with other U.S. jobs (O*NET 31.0 work context). Answer honestly.
- 1.Are you OK being on your feet and moving most of the day?
- 2.Are you OK with physical risk, such as hazardous equipment or conditions, with proper training?
- 3.Would you rather not deal with customers or the public?
- 4.Are you OK working more than 40 hours a week?
- 5.Do you want the same hours every week?
- 6.Do you prefer doing your own work rather than directing others?
- 7.Do you work well under tight deadlines?
The hard parts
- Long hours on your feet
- Tight deadlines are common
- Exposure to hazardous conditions
Foundry Mold and Coremakers pay by state
Highest-paying states
Annual median pay by state (33 states with published data). Source: BLS OEWS May 2025.
What foundry mold and coremakers do
- 01Clean and smooth molds, cores, and core boxes, and repair surface imperfections.
- 02Sift and pack sand into mold sections, core boxes, and pattern contours, using hand or pneumatic ramming tools.
- 03Position patterns inside mold sections, and clamp sections together.
- 04Position cores into lower sections of molds, and reassemble molds for pouring.
- 05Tend machines that bond cope and drag together to form completed shell molds.
- 06Sprinkle or spray parting agents onto patterns and mold sections to facilitate removal of patterns from molds.
Skills that matter most
- Monitoring
- Critical Thinking
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Active Learning
- Reading Comprehension
Knowledge
- English Language
- Mechanical
- Production and Processing
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
Work styles that stand out
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
Education and first steps
Share of workers by required education, as reported to O*NET.
How people get started
- Usually needs a high school diploma (O*NET Job Zone 2).
- Related work experience: none.
- On-the-job training: over 3 months, up to and including 6 months.
Most common answers from O*NET 31.0 Education, Training and Experience.
Interest fit (Holland code)
O*NET occupational interest scores, scale 1–7. Take the Free Career Test to compare with your own.
Career changes
Change from foundry mold and coremakers
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic92% · −4%
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators92% · −3%
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons87% · +27%
- Tire Builders86% · +19%
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers85% · −4%
Change into foundry mold and coremakers
Jobs whose skills carry over best (skill match, their median pay).
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators92% · $46,880
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic92% · $46,170
- Rock Splitters, Quarry88% · $48,740
- Tire Builders85% · $57,390
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons80% · $61,290
Majors that lead here
- Ironworking/Ironworker
From the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk.