Mold setter vs plastic machine operator

The differences between mold setters and plastic machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a mold setter has an average salary of $35,936, which is higher than the $31,802 average annual salary of a plastic machine operator.

The top three skills for a mold setter include hand tools, mold changes and hydraulic presses. The most important skills for a plastic machine operator are quality checks, CNC, and provide technical assistance.

Mold setter vs plastic machine operator overview

	Mold Setter	Plastic Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$35,936	$31,802
Hourly rate	$17.28	$15.29
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	3,007	58,108
Job satisfaction	5	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 50%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

Mold setter vs plastic machine operator salary

Mold setters and plastic machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Mold Setter	Plastic Machine Operator
Average salary	$35,936	$31,802
Salary range	Between $26,000 And $48,000	Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Salem, OR	Vancouver, WA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Alaska
Best paying company	Silgan Holdings	Dart Container
Best paying industry	Manufacturing	Manufacturing

Differences between mold setter and plastic machine operator education

There are a few differences between a mold setter and a plastic machine operator in terms of educational background:

	Mold Setter	Plastic Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 52%	High School Diploma, 50%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Mold setter vs plastic machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between mold setters' and plastic machine operators' demographics:

	Mold Setter	Plastic Machine Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 94.5% Female, 5.5%	Male, 69.1% Female, 30.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.8% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 13.3% Asian, 7.9% White, 64.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 8.7% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 6.9% White, 60.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.1%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between mold setter and plastic machine operator duties and responsibilities

Mold setter example 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.

Plastic machine operator example responsibilities.

Assist in color die changes for use in maintaining plastic extrusion machines.
Operate pallet jacks and heavy machinery assembling bolts and nuts into car parts for Honda.
Record statistics on ISO documentation, and coordinate with machine technicians and electrical technicians to keep machines operating at maximum efficiency.
Participate in technical support and assist validation and QA department during equipment validation.

Mold setter vs plastic machine operator skills

Common mold setter skills

Hand Tools, 17%
Mold Changes, 13%
Hydraulic Presses, 9%
PET, 8%
Production Schedules, 7%
Water Lines, 4%

Common plastic machine operator skills

Quality Checks, 19%
CNC, 12%
Provide Technical Assistance, 11%
Mold Components, 9%
Lean Manufacturing, 8%
Safety Procedures, 6%

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Mold Setter
Mold Setter vs Plastic Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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