Career profile · 51-4111
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.
What the work can involve
- Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators.
- 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.
- Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
- Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools, hand tools, or welders.
- Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves vocational training, related experience or an associate-level route. It does not mean every course in a related subject meets the requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Learning
- Active Listening
- Reading Comprehension
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Design
- English Language
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Getting Information
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Thinking Creatively
- Controlling Machines and Processes
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Contact with others most of the time | 49.5%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 40.9%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 100.0%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 53.9%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Less than half the time | 69.1%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Spend Time Standing | More than half the time | 57.8%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 60.4%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Time Pressure | Once a week or more but not every day | 48.3%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 100.0%08/2021 · sample 18 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 97.7%08/2021 · sample 18 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, Bentley MicroStation, Cimatron CimatronE Master
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: 1CadCam Unigraphics, CNC Mastercam, DP Technology ESPRIT, Mastercam computer-aided design and manufacturing software
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software
- Inventory management software: Seco Tools Seco Point
- Materials requirements planning logistics and supply chain software: JobPack MES Scheduler
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Project management software: Microsoft Project
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for tool and die makers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 45 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,800 | $31.15 | 690 |
| Arizona | $59,140 | $28.44 | 310 |
| Arkansas | $56,840 | $27.33 | 290 |
| California | $77,030 | $37.04 | 1,790 |
| Colorado | $63,800 | $30.67 | 160 |
| Connecticut | $77,540 | $37.28 | 1,880 |
| Florida | $63,890 | $30.71 | 440 |
| Georgia | $60,020 | $28.86 | 850 |
| Idaho | $57,800 | $27.79 | 50 |
| Illinois | $61,170 | $29.41 | 5,220 |
| Indiana | $68,050 | $32.72 | 4,090 |
| Iowa | $65,000 | $31.25 | 760 |
| Kansas | $83,890 | $40.33 | 660 |
| Kentucky | $66,570 | $32.00 | 1,900 |
| Louisiana | $46,950 | $22.57 | 170 |
| Maine | $79,910 | $38.42 | 80 |
| Maryland | $58,110 | $27.94 | 70 |
| Massachusetts | $67,230 | $32.32 | 850 |
| Michigan | $65,590 | $31.53 | 9,420 |
| Minnesota | $71,020 | $34.15 | 1,150 |
| Mississippi | $57,980 | $27.87 | 300 |
| Missouri | $60,810 | $29.24 | 1,280 |
| Nebraska | $69,150 | $33.24 | 360 |
| Nevada | $61,350 | $29.49 | 220 |
| New Hampshire | $69,910 | $33.61 | 250 |
| New Jersey | $74,460 | $35.80 | 540 |
| New Mexico | $47,960 | $23.06 | 40 |
| New York | $68,080 | $32.73 | 1,270 |
| North Carolina | $61,060 | $29.36 | 1,580 |
| North Dakota | $73,130 | $35.16 | 70 |
| Ohio | $62,280 | $29.94 | 5,520 |
| Oklahoma | $65,870 | $31.67 | 330 |
| Oregon | $73,930 | $35.54 | 300 |
| Pennsylvania | $61,160 | $29.40 | 3,380 |
| Rhode Island | $63,430 | $30.49 | 260 |
| South Carolina | $65,250 | $31.37 | 870 |
| South Dakota | $59,770 | $28.74 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $60,760 | $29.21 | 2,930 |
| Texas | $55,470 | $26.67 | 1,710 |
| Utah | $56,740 | $27.28 | 270 |
| Vermont | $69,300 | $33.32 | 140 |
| Virginia | $64,050 | $30.79 | 390 |
| Washington | $109,390 | $52.59 | 1,510 |
| West Virginia | $46,190 | $22.21 | 40 |
| Wisconsin | $68,120 | $32.75 | 2,450 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 230 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 51-4111.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.