Pourers and Casters, Metal
Also called: Aluminum Pourer, Billet Header, Brass Pourer, Buggy Ladle Tender, Bull Ladle Tender, Busher, Caster, Casting Machine Operator
Operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or ingots.
What pourers and casters, metal do
Typical tasks
- Pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds and forms to produce ingots or other castings, using ladles or hand-controlled mechanisms.
- Read temperature gauges and observe color changes, adjusting furnace flames, torches, or electrical heating units as necessary to melt metal to specifications.
- Remove solidified steel or slag from pouring nozzles, using long bars or oxygen burners.
- Examine molds to ensure they are clean, smooth, and properly coated.
- Collect samples, or signal workers to sample metal for analysis.
- Load specified amounts of metal and flux into furnaces or clay crucibles.
- Position equipment such as ladles, grinding wheels, pouring nozzles, or crucibles, or signal other workers to position equipment.
- Skim slag or remove excess metal from ingots or equipment, using hand tools, strainers, rakes, or burners, collecting scrap for recycling.
- Transport metal ingots to storage areas, using forklifts.
- Assemble and embed cores in casting frames, using hand tools and equipment.
- Turn valves to circulate water through cores, or spray water on filled molds to cool and solidify metal.
- Pull levers to lift ladle stoppers and to allow molten steel to flow into ingot molds to specified heights.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Pourers and Casters, Metal salary
The median annual wage for pourers and casters, metal is $51,810 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $38,480 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $72,040. The mean annual wage is $54,290.
The mean hourly wage of $26.00 is 3.6× 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 Pourers and Casters, Metal (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $51,810 → in 3 years $56,000 → in 5 years $59,100 → in 10 years $67,300 (10-year range $57,900–$78,200). The model assumes pay growth of +2.6% 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 Pourers and Casters, Metal
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 Pourers and Casters, Metal? 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 Pourers and Casters, Metal
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 Pourers and Casters, Metal
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: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become pourers and casters, metal
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 pourers and casters, metal
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.