Tool room machinist vs mold maker

The differences between tool room machinists and mold makers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a tool room machinist, becoming a mold maker takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a mold maker has an average salary of $48,841, which is higher than the $45,143 average annual salary of a tool room machinist.

The top three skills for a tool room machinist include jigs, grinders and hand tools. The most important skills for a mold maker are grinders, plastic injection molds, and cnc machines.

Tool room machinist vs mold maker overview

	Tool Room Machinist	Mold Maker
Yearly salary	$45,143	$48,841
Hourly rate	$21.70	$23.48
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	41,699	13,896
Job satisfaction	-	3
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 30%
Average age	48	54
Years of experience	4	6

Tool room machinist vs mold maker salary

Tool room machinists and mold makers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tool Room Machinist	Mold Maker
Average salary	$45,143	$48,841
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $61,000	Between $34,000 And $68,000
Highest paying City	-	Monterey, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Vicor
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between tool room machinist and mold maker education

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

	Tool Room Machinist	Mold Maker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 30%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Tool room machinist vs mold maker demographics

Here are the differences between tool room machinists' and mold makers' demographics:

	Tool Room Machinist	Mold Maker
Average age	48	54
Gender ratio	Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1%	Male, 95.6% Female, 4.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 7.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	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 tool room machinist and mold maker duties and responsibilities

Tool room machinist example responsibilities.

Fabricate gauges, jigs, fixtures, extrusion dies, and various types of cut die components.
Design and construct drill jigs, bending fixtures, welding jigs and components for a wide variety of government contracts
Work closely with customers to determine job requirements, troubleshoot equipment problems and answer customer questions.
Operate / set up manual bridgeports.

Mold maker example responsibilities.

Utilize Creo to create accurate part models including mold splits, BOM's and assemblies.
Have experience repairing molds including mig welding aluminum.
Convert part drawings to AutoCad.
Train engineers on use of SolidWorks.
Adher to safety standards and ISO requirements.
Lead mold machinist utilizing Haas vertical milling machines.

Tool room machinist vs mold maker skills

Common tool room machinist skills

Jigs, 12%
Grinders, 11%
Hand Tools, 10%
Calipers, 9%
Micrometers, 8%
Machine Tools, 7%

Common mold maker skills

Grinders, 13%
Plastic Injection Molds, 8%
CNC Machines, 8%
Math, 5%
Jigs, 5%
Hand Tools, 5%