Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic
SOC Code: 51-9195
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic carries a 34% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $45,690 and +6.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 41,700 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 34% AI exposure, Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic sits 3 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 43% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
55/100
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $45,690
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth A- +6.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) C 34% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Average (378 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
34% Lower than most lower than 57% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-9195) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic. Public companies with meaningful exposure to this occupation, such as Packaging Corp Of America and ELI LILLY & Co, inherit a share of the same automation risk through their industry classification. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Operate gas or electric kilns to fire pottery pieces.
- 2. Place glass into dies or molds of presses and control presses to form products, such as glassware components or optical blanks.
- 3. Start machine units and conveyors and observe lights and gauges on panel board to verify operational efficiency.
- 4. Mix and apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools, such as spray guns.
- 5. Raise and shape clay into wares, such as vases and pitchers, on revolving wheels, using hands, fingers, and thumbs.
- 6. Adjust wheel speeds according to the feel of the clay as pieces enlarge and walls become thinner.
- 7. Spray or swab molds with oil solutions to prevent adhesion of glass.
- 8. Position balls of clay in centers of potters' wheels, and start motors or pump treadles with feet to revolve wheels.
- 9. Move pieces from wheels so that they can dry.
- 10. Heat glass to pliable stage, using gas flames or ovens and rotating glass to heat it uniformly.
Key Skills Required
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Quality Control Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
- Coordination
Knowledge Areas
- Fine Arts
- Production and Processing
- Design
- Customer and Personal Service
- Chemistry
- Administration and Management
- Sales and Marketing
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Mechanical
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic?
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic has an AI exposure score of 34%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic is projected to grow by 6.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 41,700 workers.
What skills are needed for Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic?
Key skills for Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic include Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic earn?
The median annual wage for Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic is $45,690, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic?
The typical entry-level education for Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic?
Public companies with significant Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic workforce shares include Packaging Corp Of America, ELI LILLY & Co, Exxon Mobil Corp, among others. These employers are mapped by industry classification (SIC/NAICS) to BLS occupation-industry employment distributions. See the full employer rankings for AI displacement risk grades.
Employers with High AI Exposure in This Occupation Group
Public companies whose industry occupation mix includes a significant share of Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic roles.
| Company | AI Grade | Risk Score |
|---|---|---|
| Packaging Corp Of America | B | 36.9% |
| ELI LILLY & Co | B | 36.9% |
| Exxon Mobil Corp | B | 36.9% |
| Johnson & Johnson | B | 36.9% |
| Chevron Corp | B | 36.9% |
| AbbVie Inc. | B | 36.9% |
| PROCTER & GAMBLE Co | B | 36.9% |
| Coca Cola Co | B | 36.9% |
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (34% here).
- Animal control workers · AI exposure 34%
- Barbers · AI exposure 34%
- Bartenders · AI exposure 34%
- Coil winders, tapers, and finishers · AI exposure 34%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+6.2% here).
- Electronics engineers, except computer · growth +6.2%
- Human resources specialists · growth +6.2%
- Dining room and cafeteria attendants and bartender helpers · growth +6.3%
- First-line supervisors of entertainment and recreation workers, except gambling services · growth +6.3%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).