Salary guide, May 2025
Injection Molding Technician pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the United States was $44,350 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $37,270 and $51,020.
Also searched as: Molding Technician, Mold Setter, Molding Setup Technician. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-4072 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The Injection Molding Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $34,170 | $37,270 | $44,350 | $51,020 | $61,600 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $16.43 | $17.92 | $21.32 | $24.53 | $29.62 |
BLS estimated 150,470 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-4072 Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $38,270 | $33,890 to $46,380 | 780 | 0.29 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $38,270 | $36,660 to $47,250 | 630 | 0.45 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $39,720 | $35,850 to $49,160 | 380 | 0.28 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $38,420 | $35,890 to $45,520 | 410 | 0.57 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $43,500 | $35,870 to $48,320 | 2,490 | 0.27 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $43,500 | $35,870 to $48,320 | 2,490 | 0.27 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $43,970 | $36,120 to $51,140 | 2,280 | 0.58 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $45,590 | $38,940 to $50,080 | 7,910 | 1.81 |
Rank every metro for Injection Molding Technician
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$54,750
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$50,230
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$48,410
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$48,200
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$48,160
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$47,060
- Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$46,870
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$46,660
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$46,600
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$46,460
- Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (NAICS 337000)$45,660
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$45,420
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$45,390
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$42,950
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$42,700
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 138,510 | $37,600 | $44,970 | $51,360 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 77,480 | $36,720 | $42,950 | $48,580 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 75,120 | $36,670 | $43,010 | $48,590 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 14,810 | $40,170 | $48,200 | $58,950 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 12,600 | $38,590 | $47,300 | $56,180 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 12,330 | $39,410 | $45,420 | $51,560 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 10,480 | $37,260 | $48,160 | $56,770 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 8,780 | $39,000 | $42,050 | $49,170 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 8,350 | $40,330 | $46,600 | $54,370 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 5,720 | $34,510 | $40,040 | $60,150 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 5,100 | $40,490 | $46,190 | $51,650 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 4,590 | $39,390 | $46,660 | $55,000 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,250 | $39,440 | $48,180 | $54,710 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 3,190 | $38,000 | $45,390 | $54,990 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 3,150 | $42,130 | $51,090 | $56,880 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 3,130 | $39,160 | $46,660 | $54,660 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 2,810 | $42,240 | $47,060 | $54,470 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 2,760 | $47,010 | $50,980 | $56,820 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 2,420 | $38,070 | $46,580 | $57,610 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 2,360 | $37,700 | $42,050 | $48,410 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 2,230 | $42,580 | $47,120 | $54,470 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 1,450 | $36,900 | $42,700 | $48,390 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 1,380 | $48,200 | $48,200 | $55,970 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 1,150 | $59,560 | $63,440 | $67,640 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 980 | $43,630 | $48,410 | $58,290 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 760 | $35,380 | $39,430 | $46,290 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 680 | $36,780 | $41,350 | $42,500 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 650 | $36,920 | $43,380 | $49,040 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 630 | $48,820 | $65,420 | $70,790 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 570 | $46,750 | $54,890 | $60,800 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 540 | $41,030 | $43,910 | $50,350 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 440 | $34,990 | $41,310 | $47,660 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 370 | $35,920 | $46,460 | $57,060 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 370 | $46,790 | $50,230 | $56,140 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 370 | $46,790 | $50,230 | $56,140 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 340 | $35,920 | $45,610 | $56,780 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 340 | $48,590 | $58,200 | $66,090 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 330 | $44,300 | $49,370 | $58,240 |
| 316000 · 3-digit | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 310 | $38,770 | $40,480 | $48,890 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 300 | $49,880 | $54,750 | $56,960 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 300 | $49,030 | $52,280 | $62,800 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 280 | $38,950 | $40,640 | $47,820 |
| 316900 · 4-digit | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 260 | $39,940 | $44,810 | $48,970 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 260 | $50,210 | $54,750 | $56,960 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 250 | $37,900 | $45,660 | $53,450 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 250 | $37,900 | $45,660 | $53,450 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 240 | $40,720 | $47,810 | $50,260 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 230 | $36,930 | $43,200 | $50,740 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 200 | $39,710 | $46,470 | $50,500 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 180 | $37,090 | $37,600 | $50,360 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 180 | $38,960 | $43,050 | $45,880 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 150 | $38,520 | $41,010 | $47,990 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 90 | $39,260 | $46,870 | $46,880 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 90 | $39,260 | $46,870 | $46,880 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 90 | $42,280 | $47,970 | $48,030 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 80 | $52,620 | $62,180 | $67,060 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 80 | $38,290 | $42,890 | $52,950 |
| 316200 · 4-digit | Footwear Manufacturing | 60 | $34,530 | $35,950 | $44,630 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 60 | $33,900 | $39,070 | $45,830 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 60 | $33,900 | $38,730 | $45,830 |
| 334600 · 4-digit | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 50 | $35,600 | $39,230 | $43,220 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 30 | $45,530 | $48,620 | $60,140 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Injection Molding Technician, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $36,290 | $41,230 | $49,100 |
| May 2025 | $37,270 | $44,350 | $51,020 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about robot and sprue picker setup?
Many cells use takeout robots and simple automation. We ask what the candidate programmed and how they handled a crash. If your job needs advanced robot work, we say so and adjust the screen.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Injection Molding Technician?
The median annual wage for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the United States was $44,350 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $37,270 and $51,020. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $34,170. 90% earned less than $61,600.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Injection Molding Technician at a plant?
The Injection Molding Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 150,470 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters provides this analysis of the Injection Molding Technician role, mapped to SOC 51-4072 for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. For Injection Molding Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $44,350; the May 2024 median is $41,230. Their arithmetic difference is $3,120.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. This technical role involves complex tasks such as mold changes, process optimization, and auxiliary equipment setup, which often exceed the baseline expectations of an entry-level operator.
The national middle-band width for this occupation is $13,750, spanning the P25 rate of $37,270 to the P75 rate of $51,020. Among industries, Iron and Steel Mills report a national median of $65,420, while Alumina and Aluminum Production sits at $63,440. These sector-specific wages reflect the higher pay tiers associated with metal and plastic manufacturing, demonstrating the disparity between high-regulation industries and general molding settings.
Regional analysis reveals that the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro reports a median of $45,590 with a location quotient of 1.81. The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI area shows a lower median of $39,790, despite a higher location quotient of 2.86. These variations underscore that employment concentration, measured by the location quotient, does not dictate local wage levels, which are influenced by different industrial mixes and regional competition.
The BLS dataset for this role is an aggregate, meaning it does not account for specialized injection molding credentials like Master Molder certifications or robotic systems expertise. For Injection Molding Technician in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. For Injection Molding Technician in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $37,270 to $51,020 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
For Injection Molding Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $44,350; the May 2024 median is $41,230. Their arithmetic difference is $3,120. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
What was the median change for this occupation from 2024 to 2025?
For Injection Molding Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $44,350; the May 2024 median is $41,230. Their arithmetic difference is $3,120. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
How does the Iron and Steel Mills industry median compare to the national occupation median?
The Iron and Steel Mills industry reports a median of $65,420, which is higher than the national occupational median of $44,350. This variance suggests that specific metal-working environments often offer premium pay.
Does a high location quotient mean local salaries are higher?
No: A location quotient simply measures the concentration of employment in an area relative to the nation. It does not dictate or correlate directly with local salary levels.
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