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What is a molding technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
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While not everyone who played with Playdough as a child grows up to be an expert Molding Technician, this position requires a certain finesse with molding and manipulating materials via machinery. For someone with a mixture of creativity and technical prowess, this position's responsibilities revolve around creating quality products by operating molding machinery. You'll need to not only work diligently with your team to meet guidelines and deadlines, but you'll also be in charge of maintaining company standards by inspecting products.

Having a vocational degree and technical experience are two factors you'll want to have on your resume. However, they'll also need to be sure you can lift and maneuver heavy machinery, which may require certifications depending on your state guidelines. When looking to get started, it's good to keep in mind that Molding Technicians make between $26,000 and $43,000 per year, depending on the industry.

ScoreMolding TechnicianUS Average
Salary
3.2

Avg. Salary $40,696

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.5

Growth rate -5%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
7.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.72%

Asian 7.42%

Black or African American 9.87%

Hispanic or Latino 16.77%

Unknown 3.97%

White 61.25%

Gender

female 11.51%

male 88.49%

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

Molding technician career paths

Key steps to become a molding technician

  1. Explore molding technician education requirements

    Most common molding technician degrees

    High School Diploma

    44.0 %

    Associate

    22.3 %

    Bachelor's

    14.9 %
  2. Start to develop specific molding technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Preventative Maintenance8.72%
    Hand Tools6.92%
    Auxiliary Equipment6.79%
    Math6.48%
    Quality Checks6.01%
  3. Complete relevant molding technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New molding technicians 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 molding technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real molding technician resumes.
  4. Gain additional molding technician certifications

    Molding technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific molding technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

    The most common certifications for molding technicians include Forklift Safety and Inspector and EPA Amusement Operators Safety Certification (EPA).

    More About Certifications
  5. Research molding technician duties and responsibilities

    • Manage utilization of LOTO procedures, GMP standards and OSHA safety standards.
    • Operate overhead cranes and forklifts and perform die-setter duties.
    • Operate and set-up CNC mills to make tire molds.
    • Work within the parameters of QS-9000 , 9001 and ISO 14000 certification requirements.
  6. Prepare your molding technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your molding technician 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 molding technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable molding technician resume templates

    Build a professional molding technician 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 molding technician resume.
    Molding Technician Resume
    Molding Technician Resume
    Molding Technician Resume
    Molding Technician Resume
    Molding Technician Resume
    Molding Technician Resume
    Molding Technician Resume
    Molding Technician Resume
    Molding Technician Resume
  7. Apply for molding technician jobs

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

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

How did you land your first molding technician job

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Average molding technician salary

The average molding technician salary in the United States is $40,696 per year or $20 per hour. Molding technician salaries range between $32,000 and $51,000 per year.

Average molding technician salary
$40,696 Yearly
$19.57 hourly

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Molding technician reviews

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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


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A zippia user wrote a review on Feb 2020
Cons

The repetitive work I've experienced and not knowing how it where to further my education in composites careers.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Cons

Data collection and send report sit one place not do nothing at all Boring work


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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