All careers › Patternmakers, Wood
Mold maker (wood patternmaker): pay, job outlook and how to become one
- $37,600lowest 10% earn less
- $41,17025th percentile
- $49,630median
- $59,35075th percentile
- $83,780top 10% earn more
Wood patternmakers, also called mold maker in O*NET job titles[1], had a median pay of $49,630 a year in May 2025[2]. Employment is projected to decline 2% from 2025 to 2035[3].
- Job growth, 2025–35
- -2%[3]
- Openings per year
- 100[6]
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent[7]
How much do mold makers make?
The official BLS category is Patternmakers, Wood. The median pay was $49,630 a year, or $23.86 an hour[2]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The mean (average) was $54,240 a year, or $26.08 an hour[8].
For all occupations in the US, the median annual wage was $50,980[5]. So the median for this job sat a little below that line.
The pay range is wide:
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th[4][9] | $37,600 | $18.08 |
| 25th[4][9] | $41,170 | $19.79 |
| 75th[4][9] | $59,350 | $28.53 |
| 90th[4][9] | $83,780 | $40.28 |
A percentile is a boundary. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less than that amount[4]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[10]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed, nonproduction bonuses and the cost of benefits[11].
Pay by state and city
BLS published a state median for only one state. In Pennsylvania the median annual wage was $55,020[12]. The job is small, with about 220 wage and salary jobs counted nationwide in May 2025[13].
Show median pay in 1 states
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania[12] | $55,020 | n/a |
How to become a mold maker
BLS describes the typical path like this[7]:
- First: finish high school or earn an equivalent diploma.
- Next: no work experience in a related job is expected.
- Then: learn the job through moderate-term on-the-job training.
In an ONET survey of 29 workers, 57% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required[14]. Another 26% named a post-secondary certificate and 16% named some college courses[14]. ONET also places the job in Job Zone Three, which means medium preparation is needed[15].
The facts do not say how many months or years the training takes.
What mold makers do
Wood patternmakers build wooden patterns that are used to form sand molds for castings[16]. Typical tasks include[17]:
- Reading blueprints, drawings or written specifications to work out sizes, shapes and machine setups.
- Marking patterns on wood stock with measuring and marking devices.
- Cutting and shaping parts with woodworking machines such as bandsaws and lathes.
- Smoothing and shaping surfaces with hand tools.
- Gluing, nailing and screwing wood parts together into patterns or sections.
- Splitting patterns into sections so they can be removed from molds.
- Checking finished dimensions with templates, calipers or protractors.
- Correcting patterns to make up for casting defects, and estimating job costs.
Workers in O*NET reported job titles such as Mold Maker, Pattern Engineer and Wood Pattern Maker[1].
Where they work
BLS Employment Projections say 64.3% of wood patternmakers were self-employed in 2025[18]. The wage survey counted about 220 wage and salary jobs[13]. The projections count self-employed workers too and show about 600 jobs[3].
Job outlook
BLS projects employment of wood patternmakers to decline 2% from 2025 to 2035[3]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same years[19].
Still, jobs open up. BLS projects about 100 openings a year on average[6]. Openings come from workers who leave the field as well as from new jobs. Each year, 5% of workers are projected to leave the labor force and 6.2% to move to a different occupation[20].
Related jobs also show declines. Model Makers, Wood have a projected change of -3.3% and Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic -22.8%[21].
Is it a good fit?
The facts point to a small trade with pay close to the all-occupations median[2][5]. Entry needs a high school diploma or equivalent and on-the-job training[7]. The work mixes reading plans, machine work and hand finishing[17]. Employment is projected to shrink 2%[3], and openings are few at about 100 a year[6]. Anyone weighing it may want to check local demand, since only one state has published pay data[12].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a mold maker make an hour?
- Wood patternmakers had a median of $23.86 an hour in May 2025[2]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $18.08 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $40.28[9].
- What education do you need to be a wood patternmaker?
- BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent for entry, with moderate-term on-the-job training[7].
- Is wood patternmaking in demand?
- BLS projects a 2% decline from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all occupations[3][19]. About 100 openings a year are projected[6].
- What is the highest paying state for wood patternmakers?
- BLS published a state median for only one state. Pennsylvania had $55,020[12].
Facts and sources
- O*NET 51-7032.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Mold Maker, Pattern Engineer, Pattern Maker, Patternmaker, Wood Pattern Maker, Wood Patternmaker, Wood Shop Moldmaker, Woodshop Worker. O*NET OnLine
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Patternmakers, Wood in the US was $49,630 per year and $23.86 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: employment of Patternmakers, Wood is projected to decline 2% from 2025 to 2035, from about 600 to 600 jobs (a change of +0). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Patternmakers, Wood: 10th percentile $37,600, 25th percentile $41,170, 75th percentile $59,350, 90th percentile $83,780. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections: about 100 openings for Patternmakers, Wood are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Patternmakers, Wood: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Patternmakers, Wood was $54,240 per year and $26.08 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Patternmakers, Wood: 10th percentile $18.08, 25th percentile $19.79, 75th percentile $28.53, 90th percentile $40.28. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage for Patternmakers, Wood in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 220 people were employed as Patternmakers, Wood in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- O*NET 51-7032.00 survey of workers (29 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 57%, Post-Secondary Certificate 26%, Some College Courses 16% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
- O*NET 51-7032.00: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed. Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET description of Patternmakers, Wood. O*NET OnLine
- O*NET task list for Patternmakers, Wood. O*NET OnLine
- BLS Employment Projections: 64.3% of Patternmakers, Wood were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Patternmakers, Wood: 5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6.2% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
- Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine
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. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.