Pourers and Casters, Metal
What Pourers and Casters, Metal Do
Operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or ingots.
See full salary breakdown & percentiles →
Career Outlook
National employment outlook, 2024–2034.
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1.2%
Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.
How Much Preparation Does This Take?
Job Zone 2 of 5Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Job training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
Source: O*NET Job Zones.
Key Knowledge Areas
Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.
- English Languageimportance 3.1/5
- Production and Processingimportance 2.8/5
- Education and Trainingimportance 2.6/5
- Mechanicalimportance 2.5/5
- Administration and Managementimportance 2.2/5
- Mathematicsimportance 2.2/5
- Transportationimportance 2.1/5
- Public Safety and Securityimportance 1.9/5
Work Environment
What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets5.0/5
- Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled5.0/5
- Spend Time Standing4.6/5
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.4/5
- Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings4.2/5
- Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures3.9/5
Careers With Similar Skills
Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.
- Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers96% skill match
- Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers96% skill match
- Refractory Materials Repairers, Except Brickmasons96% skill match
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic96% skill match
- Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders95% skill match
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals95% skill match
- Helpers--Production Workers95% skill match
- Rock Splitters, Quarry95% skill match
Transferable Skills
Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.
- Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
- Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
- Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.0/5
- Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
- Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.9/5
- Time Managementimportance 2.9/5
- Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.8/5
- Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.5/5
Software & Technologies
Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.
Other Software Used
- Husky Injection Molding Systems Shotscope NX
Work Style
Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.
- Cautiousness
- Dependability
- Attention to Detail
- Stress Tolerance
- Self-Control
- Perseverance
- Integrity
Career Interests
This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.
- RealisticHigh
- ConventionalMedium
- InvestigativeLow
- ArtisticLow
- SocialLow
- EnterprisingLow
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Where This Career Is Most Concentrated
Metro areas where pourers and casters, metal make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).
- 1Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ6.73× national avg
- 2Cleveland, OH4.87× national avg
- 3Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI4.10× national avg
- 4Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI4.10× national avg
- 5Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN2.56× national avg
Possible Career Moves
A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.