Salary guide, May 2025
Injection Molding Technician pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
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 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $45,590 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $38,940 and $50,080.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is $1,240 above the national median of $44,350, both from BLS May 2025.
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.
What should you know about chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36,090 | $38,940 | $45,590 | $50,080 | $62,370 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.35 | $18.72 | $21.92 | $24.08 | $29.99 |
BLS estimated 7,910 workers employed in this occupation in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Location quotient: 1.81.
What should you know about united States?
| 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 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published Injection Molding Technician median is $45,590. The all-occupations median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $54,720. Ratio: 0.83 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 1.81 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $35,650 | $41,900 | $48,860 |
| May 2025 | $38,940 | $45,590 | $50,080 |
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.
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, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
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.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Niles, MI | $36,600 | $34,100 to $47,540 |
| Kenosha, WI | $45,670 | $34,700 to $47,840 |
National page · Injection Molding Technician ranked across metros
What does this data mean for your opening?
In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area, the Injection Molding Technician role, mapped to SOC 51-4072, records a May 2025 median annual wage of $45,590. For Injection Molding Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $45,590; the May 2024 median is $41,900. Their arithmetic difference is $3,690.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The region shows a middle band width of $11,140, based on a P25 of $38,940 and a P75 of $50,080. For Injection Molding Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, 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.
National manufacturing industry benchmarks show higher medians in sectors like Iron and Steel Mills at $65,420, Alumina and Aluminum Production at $63,440, and Steel Product Manufacturing at $62,180. These values sit above the national occupational median of $44,350. Chicago displays a location quotient of 1.81, indicating that this occupation is highly concentrated in the regional workforce compared to the national average. Manufacturing Headhunters notes that these figures are derived from the official May 2025 release.
Comparative regional data indicates that Niles, MI reports a median of $36,600 with a middle band width of $13,440. As the SOC 51-4072 classification covers all molding, coremaking, and casting machine operators regardless of the material or technical process, these figures are generalized rather than plant-specific. The reported wage bands represent the average labor market conditions, which do not account for variations in technical molding skills or machine setup complexity.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
The Chicago median of $45,590 is higher than the national occupational median of $44,350. For Injection Molding Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $38,940 to $50,080 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity.
How does the Chicago median wage compare to the national occupational median?
The Chicago median of $45,590 is higher than the national occupational median of $44,350. For Injection Molding Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $38,940 to $50,080 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.
What is the median change for this Chicago role over the past year?
For Injection Molding Technician in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $45,590; the May 2024 median is $41,900. Their arithmetic difference is $3,690. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
What does the middle band width signify for Chicago?
The middle band width of $11,140 represents the dispersion of salary for the central segment of the local labor market, spanning from the 25th to 75th percentiles.
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