Tool and Die Makers
Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists’ hand tools.
Fast Facts
Hourly Pay
Entry Level: $21.44/hr
Median: $24.94/hr
Experienced: $28.64/hr
Current Employment
542 (2019)
Projected Employment
474 (2030)
Growth for Tool and Die Makers
| 2019 Jobs | 2030 Jobs | Change (2019-2030) | % Change (2019-2030) |
| 542 | 474 | (68) | (13%) |
Industries Employing Tool and Die Makers
| Industry | Occupations Jobs in Industry (2019) | % Occupation in Industry (2019) | % of Total Jobs in Industry (2019) |
| Special Die and Tool, Die Set, Jig, and Fixture Manufacturing | 235 | 43.4 | 7.7% |
| Other Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 37 | 6.8% | 1.4% |
| Machine Tool Manufacturing | 34 | 6.2% | 7.7% |
| Industrial Mold Manufacturing | 27 | 4.9% | 7.8% |
| Machine Shops | 16 | 3% | 0.7% |
Occupational Skills
- Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators.
- Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
- Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
- Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
- Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.