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Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipModerate pressure

What they do

Lay out, machine, fit, and assemble castings and parts to metal or plastic foundry patterns, core boxes, or match plates.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.
  • Artistic: Creating, designing and expressing ideas through art, writing, music or performance.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $58,000 Median per year · $27.89/hr Most earn $42,460–$82,590

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Read and interpret blueprints or drawings of parts to be cast or patterns to be made, compute dimensions, and plan operational sequences.
  • Mark identification numbers or symbols onto patterns or templates.
  • Set up and operate machine tools, such as milling machines, lathes, drill presses, and grinders, to machine castings or patterns.
  • Construct platforms, fixtures, and jigs for holding and placing patterns.
  • Program computerized numerical control machine tools.
  • Create computer models of patterns or parts, using modeling software.

Job outlook

United States
23% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Foundries48.9%
  • Fabricated metal product manufacturing17.5%
  • Metalworking machinery manufacturing9.7%
  • Machinery manufacturing4.8%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 2 to 4 years

Patternmaking is not usually a job you can start straight out of school. Most people first work 1-2 years in a related entry-level role, then complete a certificate or apprenticeship, and often reach this career after roughly 2-4 years of related experience. For pay information, check the career page on your results, which shows typical earnings near you and nationally.

  1. High school diploma with shop and math classes

    4 years

    Building a strong base in math, blueprint reading, and hands-on shop work prepares you for the precise measuring and layout this career needs.

  2. Layout Worker, Metal and Plastic

    1-2 years

    You mark and measure parts from drawings and learn how metal and plastic pieces are shaped, which builds the skills patternmakers rely on.

  3. Patternmaking apprenticeship or certificate program

    1-2 years

    Structured training teaches you to machine, fit, and assemble patterns, core boxes, and match plates under experienced patternmakers.

  4. Patternmaker, Metal and Plastic

    Ongoing

    You lay out, machine, fit, and assemble foundry patterns and tooling that shape castings for finished parts.

Where it can lead

  1. Tool and Die Maker

    2-4 years of experience first

    You build and repair the precision tools, dies, and molds used in manufacturing, which requires deeper machining and tooling skills.

  2. Lead Patternmaker

    Varies by shop of experience first

    You guide other patternmakers, check the quality of their work, and plan projects, which usually takes many years of hands-on experience and strong skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, machining, or welding classesHands-on metalwork and machine experience builds the tool skills used in patternmaking.
  • Take drafting or CAD classesReading and drawing technical plans helps you understand the patterns you would build.
  • Take geometry and algebraMath skills support the precise measurements and calculations used in layout work.
  • Get a part-time or summer job at a manufacturing or machine shopReal shop experience shows employers you can follow safety rules and work carefully.
  • Join a robotics, engineering, or technical clubTeamwork on building projects gives you practice with tools, planning, and fitting parts together.

In college

  • Study manufacturing technology, engineering technology, or machiningA technical program teaches the machining, measuring, and blueprint skills you would use on the job.
  • Apply for a machining or manufacturing internshipInternships let you see foundry and pattern work up close and build a work history.
  • Get a campus job in a makerspace, machine lab, or shopWorking with tools and equipment on campus builds hands-on experience you can list on a resume.
  • Look into a welding or machining certificationA recognized certificate shows employers you have trained skills in key shop tools.
  • Ask about apprenticeships at local foundries or manufacturersMany apprenticeships combine paid on-the-job training with classroom learning, which is how many patternmakers are trained.

Tips for getting started

  • Take drafting, CAD, or blueprint reading classes if your school offers them, since patternmakers work from detailed drawings.
  • Look for local shops, foundries, or manufacturers that hire entry-level workers or offer apprenticeships, and ask how they train new people.
  • Practice careful measuring and neat, precise work in any hands-on class or hobby, because accuracy matters a lot in this job.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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