Molding technician vs mold machine operator

The differences between molding technicians and mold machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a molding technician has an average salary of $40,696, which is higher than the $32,186 average annual salary of a mold machine operator.

The top three skills for a molding technician include preventative maintenance, hand tools and auxiliary equipment. The most important skills for a mold machine operator are minor maintenance, quality checks, and hand tools.

Molding technician vs mold machine operator overview

	Molding Technician	Mold Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$40,696	$32,186
Hourly rate	$19.57	$15.47
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	10,231	68,276
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 53%
Average age	45	45
Years of experience	-	-

What does a molding technician do?

A Molding Technician specializes in molding materials such as plastic or metal. They are responsible for operating and calibrating machinery, adhering to product guidelines, conducting quality inspections on finished products, lifting heavy materials, and training new workforce members. There are also instances where they must troubleshoot equipment problems, perform basic repairs, coordinate with managers or engineers, and conduct regular maintenance checks. Molding Technicians must maintain an active communication line with staff while adhering to its safety policies and regulations.

What does a mold machine operator do?

A mold machine operator is a specialist who works with a molding machine. They are in charge of setting it up and operating it to produce products. They interpret mold blueprints to ensure that the molds are produced accurately. They monitor the molding process by ensuring proper functioning of the machine, watching out for malfunctions, making nay required adjustments, and conducting machine maintenance.

Molding technician vs mold machine operator salary

Molding technicians and mold machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Molding Technician	Mold Machine Operator
Average salary	$40,696	$32,186
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $51,000	Between $25,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	Kearney, NE	Fairfield, CA
Highest paying state	Connecticut	Alaska
Best paying company	Cummins	BD
Best paying industry	Health Care	Automotive

Differences between molding technician and mold machine operator education

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

	Molding Technician	Mold Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 44%	High School Diploma, 53%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Molding technician vs mold machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between molding technicians' and mold machine operators' demographics:

	Molding Technician	Mold Machine Operator
Average age	45	45
Gender ratio	Male, 88.5% Female, 11.5%	Male, 65.2% Female, 34.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.9% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% Asian, 7.4% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.7% White, 59.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between molding technician and mold machine operator duties and responsibilities

Molding technician example 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.
Track and maintain various SPC and quality control documentation to adhere to FDA requirements.
Use of milling machines, lathes, drill presses, sanders, grinders and polishers.

Mold machine operator example responsibilities.

Require molding expect rate of part producing and achieving ISO QualityStandards.
Used basic math skills to count parts throw out the day.
Set up and run over 100 parts per shift.
Die cast the cables for weed eaters, lawn mowers, and boats.
Inspect complete product to match QA requirements.
Set up and operate CNC chuck lathe and trill/tap centers.

Molding technician vs mold machine operator skills

Common molding technician skills

Preventative Maintenance, 9%
Hand Tools, 7%
Auxiliary Equipment, 7%
Math, 6%
Quality Checks, 6%
Basic Math, 5%

Common mold machine operator skills

Minor Maintenance, 17%
Quality Checks, 9%
Hand Tools, 6%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Safety Rules, 5%
Grinders, 5%

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Molding Technician
Molding Technician vs Mold Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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