Foundry Mold and Coremakers
Also called: Airset Caster, Airset Molder, Bond Runner, Core Baker, Core Drier, Core Machine Operator, Core Maker, Core Microarchitect
Make or form wax or sand cores or molds used in the production of metal castings in foundries.
What foundry mold and coremakers do
Typical tasks
- Clean and smooth molds, cores, and core boxes, and repair surface imperfections.
- Sift and pack sand into mold sections, core boxes, and pattern contours, using hand or pneumatic ramming tools.
- Position patterns inside mold sections, and clamp sections together.
- Position cores into lower sections of molds, and reassemble molds for pouring.
- Sprinkle or spray parting agents onto patterns and mold sections to facilitate removal of patterns from molds.
- Form and assemble slab cores around patterns, and position wire in mold sections to reinforce molds, using hand tools and glue.
- Move and position workpieces, such as mold sections, patterns, and bottom boards, using cranes, or signal others to move workpieces.
- Lift upper mold sections from lower sections, and remove molded patterns.
- Cut spouts, runner holes, and sprue holes into molds.
- Tend machines that bond cope and drag together to form completed shell molds.
- Rotate sweep boards around spindles to make symmetrical molds for convex impressions.
- Pour molten metal into molds, manually or with crane ladles.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Foundry Mold and Coremakers salary
The median annual wage for foundry mold and coremakers is $48,110 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $37,160 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $62,640. The mean annual wage is $49,860.
The mean hourly wage of $23.00 is 3.2× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Foundry Mold and Coremakers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $48,110 → in 3 years $51,500 → in 5 years $54,000 → in 10 years $60,500 (10-year range $52,000–$70,300). The model assumes pay growth of +2.3% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Foundry Mold and Coremakers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Foundry Mold and Coremakers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Foundry Mold and Coremakers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Foundry Mold and Coremakers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become foundry mold and coremakers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as foundry mold and coremakers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.