How To Become A Mold Setter: What It Is and Career Path

What is a mold setter and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Mold setters are skilled tradespeople specialized in setting molds for the manufacturing of products or components made of various materials. They are responsible for mixing materials, positioning and aligning molds, and overseeing temperatures and timing necessary for materials to solidify. They remove excess materials after the mold is released, and maintain and repair the tools they use for the job.

You will have to follow blueprints and product specifications when setting the molds. You will have to know how to set the necessary controls on the machine you are using, to achieve the desired results. You will need to measure the surfaces and dimensions of the products using appropriate equipment, such as microscopes or other types of meters and gauges, to make sure they align with quality requirements.

A high school diploma is enough to get you started on this job. You will receive training once you get hired, but experience in manufacturing or construction environments is always welcome. You will be able to make around $28,000 a year in this role.

ScoreMold SetterUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,936

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.5

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.82%

Asian 7.91%

Black or African American 9.77%

Hispanic or Latino 13.35%

Unknown 4.20%

White 63.95%

Gender

female 5.53%

male 94.47%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress level

5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.8

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.9

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a mold setter

Explore mold setter education requirements

Most common mold setter degrees

High School Diploma

51.5 %

Diploma

20.1 %

Associate

15.3 %

Start to develop specific mold setter skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	16.63%
Mold Changes	12.95%
Hydraulic Presses	9.32%
PET	8.49%
Production Schedules	7.31%

Complete relevant mold setter training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mold setters learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mold setter based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mold setter resumes.

Research mold setter duties and responsibilities

Manage utilization of LOTO procedures, GMP standards and OSHA safety standards.
Demonstrate efficient manual dexterity at a rapid and continuous rate.
Operate sidel machines, clean machines, inspect parts and simple maintenance to ensure machine run properly.

Prepare your mold setter resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mold setter resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a mold setter resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable mold setter resume templates

Build a professional mold setter resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your mold setter resume.

Apply for mold setter jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a mold setter job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do mold setters rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Mold setter reviews

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020

Pros

The challenge of day to day work, being able to process injection molding machinery an make parts . It really feels good when you get a job running no one can. An the 60,000 a year is a plus

Cons

alot of stress

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2019