Pay · 51-4062
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic earn $58,000 a year at the midpoint
A small field — roughly 1,470 people nationwide — with a midpoint of $58,000. Pay runs from about $42,460 at the low end to $82,590 at the top, per the 2025 federal survey.
National figures for patternmakers, metal and plastic, 51-4062, from the 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.
- Read the spread, not the middle. The median is the midpoint across everyone in the occupation, most of them years into the work. A beginner starts nearer the 10th to 25th percentile, which is why the spread is published alongside it.
- What the figure counts. The figure counts base pay plus tips, commissions and production bonuses. It leaves out the self-employed, unpaid family workers, private household workers, and the value of benefits or profit sharing.
- The annual figure is arithmetic. For hourly occupations the annual figure is the hourly rate times 2080 hours. It is a calculation, not observed earnings: part time is the norm in retail and food service.
- Where you live moves it more than your resume does. National figures. A state or metro area can sit far from the national number, and that gap is usually larger than any difference a resume makes.
- Not in these numbers. Growth and annual openings are not in this dataset. They come from the separate Employment Projections tables, where an opening is a modelled ten year average and not a posted vacancy.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025. Retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on 2026-08-13. bls.gov/oes “BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.”
Metal and plastic patternmaker earnings, from starting pay up to the top 10%
Pick the job, where you work and how long you have done it. The range comes from the published wage percentiles for that job.
The survey has no complete figures for that job — pick the closest title from the list.
An estimate from survey percentiles, not an offer. Employer, industry, shift and credentials move pay within and beyond this range. Full wage page for this job →
Examples
Resumes written for this line of work.
Real sheets, filled in end to end — for this job and the ones beside it.
- Patternmaker Resume Template Production
- Model Maker Resume Template Production
- Foundry Mold Maker Resume Template Production
- Metal Pourer Resume Template Production
- Molding Machine Operator Resume Template Production
- Furnace Operator Resume Template Production
- Multi-Machine Operator Resume Template Production
- Machinist Resume Template Production
- CNC Milling Machine Operator Resume Template Production
- CNC Lathe Operator Resume Template Production
- Grinding Machine Operator Resume Template Production
- Drilling Machine Operator Resume Template Production
Resumes for patternmakers, metal and plastic
Name the job in the builder and the duties, skills and credentials it is screened on are written in for you.
- Read and interpreted blueprints or drawings of parts to be cast or patterns to be made, compute dimensions, and plan operational sequences.
- Verified conformance of patterns or template dimensions to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, scales, and micrometers.
- Assembled pattern sections, using hand tools, bolts, screws, rivets, glue, or welding equipment.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The owner of tiersi.com has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Number 433 of 788 by median pay
Better paid than 45% of the occupations in the survey.
- 431 Audio and Video Technicians $58,100
- 432 Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders $58,040
- 433 Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic $58,000
- 434 Bridge and Lock Tenders $57,700
- 435 Plasterers and Stucco Masons $57,660
Metal and plastic patternmaker wages, state by state
Across 12 states the median ranges by 2.08 times. Figures are the 2025 survey.
| State | Median a year | Where most start | 10th to 90th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | $97,690 | $40,210 | $40,210 — $97,690 | 70 |
| Minnesota | $74,900 | $50,790 | $50,790 — $74,900 | 60 |
| Massachusetts | $65,210 | $63,130 | $63,130 — $70,510 | — |
| Iowa | $63,420 | $50,720 | $50,720 — $82,950 | 90 |
| Alabama | $62,290 | $42,880 | $42,880 — $62,390 | 110 |
| Washington | $59,800 | $44,090 | $44,090 — $83,380 | 30 |
| Indiana | $54,740 | $35,560 | $35,560 — $75,830 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,150 | $45,220 | $45,220 — $75,330 | 160 |
| Michigan | $53,780 | $34,180 | $34,180 — $96,140 | 250 |
| Wisconsin | $52,150 | $47,850 | $47,850 — $75,850 | 230 |
| Texas | $49,390 | $36,000 | $36,000 — $63,320 | 40 |
| North Carolina | $47,050 | $32,060 | $32,060 — $66,500 | 40 |
Metal and plastic patternmaker pay rate, from hourly to yearly
Starts at this job’s median. Change the rate or the hours; a full-time year is 40 hours for 52 weeks.
Questions people ask
What is a metal and plastic patternmaker’s yearly income?
A metal and plastic patternmaker makes a median of $58,000 a year (2025 survey). The middle half earn between $49,070 and $69,960.
What is a metal and plastic patternmaker’s hourly pay rate?
The median pay rate is $27.89 an hour; the average is $60,610 a year.
What is the starting pay for a metal and plastic patternmaker?
Starting pay is usually near the 25th percentile, $49,070 a year, and sometimes as low as the 10th, $42,460.
Which state pays patternmakers, metal and plastic the most?
Ohio, with a median of $97,690 a year.
How many people work as patternmakers, metal and plastic?
About 1,470 in the United States — number 433 of 788 occupations by median pay.
Work that pays roughly the same
Median pay within $260 of what patternmakers, metal and plastic earn — $58,000 a year — but not always the same spread.
- $40 more Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders $58,040median a year 10th percentile: $37,440 90th percentile: $92,250
- $160 more Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas $58,160median a year 10th percentile: $38,940 90th percentile: $97,560
- $260 more Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks $58,260median a year 10th percentile: $39,500 90th percentile: $81,350