Mold maker apprentice vs tool maker

The differences between mold maker apprentices and tool makers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a mold maker apprentice and a tool maker. Additionally, a tool maker has an average salary of $52,443, which is higher than the $49,696 average annual salary of a mold maker apprentice.

The top three skills for a mold maker apprentice include grinders, calipers and cnc machines. The most important skills for a tool maker are grinders, jigs, and hand tools.

Mold maker apprentice vs tool maker overview

	Mold Maker Apprentice	Tool Maker
Yearly salary	$49,696	$52,443
Hourly rate	$23.89	$25.21
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	13,479	18,166
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Associate Degree, 37%
Average age	54	54
Years of experience	6	6

Mold maker apprentice vs tool maker salary

Mold maker apprentices and tool makers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mold Maker Apprentice	Tool Maker
Average salary	$49,696	$52,443
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $69,000	Between $40,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Sterling Heights, MI
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	General Electric
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between mold maker apprentice and tool maker education

There are a few differences between a mold maker apprentice and a tool maker in terms of educational background:

	Mold Maker Apprentice	Tool Maker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 37%	Associate Degree, 37%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Mold maker apprentice vs tool maker demographics

Here are the differences between mold maker apprentices' and tool makers' demographics:

	Mold Maker Apprentice	Tool Maker
Average age	54	54
Gender ratio	Male, 93.6% Female, 6.4%	Male, 97.3% Female, 2.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 2.5% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.7% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 2.4% Unknown, 2.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.5% Asian, 2.7% White, 84.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between mold maker apprentice and tool maker duties and responsibilities

Mold maker apprentice example responsibilities.

Learned all manual tool room machines including, but not limit to, mills, lathes and surface grinders.
Work in the manual machining department with the ability to run various mills, grinders and lathes.
Perform all aspects of producing prototype molds including the use of CAD/CAM software to aid in design and machining.
Operate variety of CNC equipment, programme with Cimatron CAD/CAM software, perform inspection on parts, aid in process refinement.
Coordinate international sample/model making for costume jewelry
Work with Okuma, Fanuc, Cincinnati, Terra, Toshiba & Allen Bradley CNC controls.

Tool maker example responsibilities.

Programme setup and run cnc lathe).
Weld parts to customer prints with both MIG and TIG welders.
Used cad to machine parts to spec, construct assemblies, and fixtures.
Train and assist others with the use of the CAD/CAM software (Surfcam).
Lift, position, and secure machine parts on surface plates or worktables using hoists.
Design and build press brake tooling, robotic weld fixtures, weld and inspection fixtures.

Mold maker apprentice vs tool maker skills

Common mold maker apprentice skills

Grinders, 15%
Calipers, 10%
CNC Machines, 10%
Manual Lathes, 8%
EDM, 8%
Cranes, 7%

Common tool maker skills

Grinders, 12%
Jigs, 12%
Hand Tools, 8%
Machine Tools, 7%
Calipers, 5%
CNC Machines, 5%