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How Much Does a Molder, Shaper, and Caster Make?

A molder, shaper, and caster in the US earns a median salary of $46,170 a year, or $22.20 an hour (BLS, May 2025). The average is $47,500, and the middle half earn between $39,280 and $53,000.

Median a year $46,170
Median an hour $22.20
Median a month $3,848
Average a year $47,500

Molder, shaper, and caster pay range

What molders, shapers, and casters earn at each point of the pay scale. The 10th percentile is a rough guide to starting pay.

Percentile A year An hour
10th (lowest 10%) $35,850 $17.24
25th $39,280 $18.88
Median (50th) $46,170 $22.20
75th $53,000 $25.48
90th (top 10%) $61,530 $29.58

The median is 9% less than the $50,980 median for all US jobs. About 33,190 people work as molders, shapers, and casters in the US.

After tax and by period

A week
$888
Every two weeks
$1,776
Twice a month
$1,924
A month
$3,848

At the median salary, before tax.

Molder, shaper, and caster salary by state

Sorted by average pay. Hawaii pays molders, shapers, and casters the most, at $60,620 a year on average.

State Average Median Jobs After tax
Hawaii $60,620 $55,990 40 After tax
Montana $55,680 $57,860 150 After tax
Washington $55,060 $51,780 1,130 After tax
Massachusetts $53,630 $50,550 1,200 After tax
Connecticut $53,150 $52,520 170 After tax
Oregon $52,700 $52,740 410 After tax
California $52,280 $49,190 3,590 After tax
New Jersey $52,270 $47,360 620 After tax
Maryland $52,260 $50,360 110 After tax
New Hampshire $52,100 $51,470 160 After tax
Colorado $51,630 $49,530 390 After tax
Vermont $51,060 $48,660 240 After tax
Rhode Island $50,940 $47,610 – After tax
Louisiana $50,890 $46,870 100 After tax
Wisconsin $50,720 $48,030 550 After tax
Kansas $50,320 $47,360 680 After tax
New York $49,240 $45,940 1,150 After tax
Maine $48,410 $48,640 120 After tax
Delaware $48,250 $47,940 90 After tax
Arizona $48,200 $49,060 470 After tax
Illinois $48,150 $47,180 1,230 After tax
Indiana $48,120 $46,400 1,520 After tax
Missouri $47,170 $46,380 690 After tax
Minnesota $46,970 $45,790 900 After tax
Nebraska $46,890 $46,220 240 After tax
Georgia $46,700 $47,160 760 After tax
Pennsylvania $46,700 $45,310 1,690 After tax
South Carolina $46,590 $46,110 550 After tax
Ohio $46,540 $44,560 1,560 After tax
Iowa $46,250 $46,220 340 After tax
Nevada $46,240 $45,020 430 After tax
North Dakota $45,980 $46,170 60 After tax
New Mexico $45,670 $46,970 – After tax
Virginia $45,310 $45,410 720 After tax
Florida $45,260 $45,030 2,410 After tax
Michigan $45,130 $45,250 1,470 After tax
Tennessee $45,070 $45,860 880 After tax
Utah $44,540 $43,440 710 After tax
Oklahoma $44,220 $46,460 220 After tax
West Virginia $43,880 $43,300 260 After tax
Idaho $42,990 $42,620 210 After tax
Texas $41,900 $40,010 2,550 After tax
North Carolina $41,690 $38,190 550 After tax
Kentucky $41,360 $41,590 370 After tax
Alabama $40,460 $36,730 820 After tax
Wyoming $40,440 $37,510 80 After tax
Mississippi $37,950 $37,580 210 After tax
Arkansas $37,280 $35,620 190 After tax

A dash means BLS did not publish that figure for the state.

Other production jobs

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (published 2026), for “Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic” (SOC 51-9195). Wages are before tax and leave out self-employed workers. All job salaries

About the Job Salaries

Job Salaries shows what more than 500 US jobs pay, from nurses and electricians to software developers and truck drivers. Each job has its median and average salary, hourly and monthly pay, the pay range from the lowest-paid 10% to the top 10%, and a table of pay in every state. The figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, the largest survey of US pay, in its latest release.

How to use it

  1. 1 Search for a job or pick one from the list.
  2. 2 Read the median salary, hourly pay and the pay range.
  3. 3 Check the salary by state to see where the job pays most.
  4. 4 Open the take-home pay calculator to see the salary after tax.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a molder, shaper, and caster make an hour?

The median hourly wage for a molder, shaper, and caster is $22.20, and the average is $22.84. The lowest-paid 10% earn under $17.24 an hour and the top 10% over $29.58.

How much does a molder, shaper, and caster make a month?

At the median salary of $46,170, a molder, shaper, and caster earns about $3,848 a month before tax, or $1,776 every two weeks.

Which state pays molders, shapers, and casters the most?

Hawaii has the highest average pay for a molder, shaper, and caster, at $60,620 a year. Next are Montana and Washington. Pay is usually higher where living costs are higher, so compare take-home pay too.

What is the starting salary for a molder, shaper, and caster?

The lowest-paid 10% of molders, shapers, and casters earn less than $35,850 a year, and the lowest 25% less than $39,280. That is a fair guide to starting pay, which depends on the state, the employer and your experience.

How much do the highest-paid molders, shapers, and casters make?

The top 10% earn more than $61,530 a year, and the top 25% more than $53,000.