AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-9195.00
Will AI replace Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic?
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic: AI can already handle 1 of 24 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 24 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify dimensions of products, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, vernier gauges, or protractors. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Repair mold defects, such as cracks or broken edges, using patterns, mold boxes, or hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Separate models or patterns from molds and examine products for accuracy. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Set the proper operating temperature for each casting. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load or stack filled molds in ovens, dryers, or curing boxes, or on storage racks or carts. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Align and assemble parts to produce completed products, using gauges and hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Select sizes and types of molds according to instructions. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Patch broken edges or fractures, using clay or plaster. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Withdraw cores or other loose mold members after castings solidify. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Measure and cut products to specified dimensions, using measuring and cutting instruments. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Smooth surfaces of molds, using scraping tools or sandpaper. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove excess materials and level and smooth wet mold mixtures. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Bore holes or cut grates, risers, or pouring spouts in molds, using power tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Tap or tilt molds to ensure uniform distribution of materials. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Construct or form molds for use in casting clay or plaster objects, using plaster, fiberglass, rubber, casting machines, patterns, or flasks. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Pour, pack, spread, or press plaster, concrete, or other materials into or around models or molds. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Operate and adjust controls of heating equipment to melt material or to cure, dry, or bake filled molds. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Measure ingredients and mix molding, casting material, or sealing compounds to prescribed consistencies, according to formulas. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 24 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 24 of 24. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 8% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 8% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 92% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 33,190
- Median annual wage
- $46,170
- Middle half of earners
- $39,280 to $53,000
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- +6.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034. BLS publishes these figures by SOC code, so O*NET occupations that share a SOC code show the same figures.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 76% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure20
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers 76% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure15
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure23
- Pourers and Casters, Metal 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure16
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic 68% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure26
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic and AI
Will AI replace Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic?
AI already handles 1 of the 24 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 18 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +6.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic?
18 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 24 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 24 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Verify dimensions of products, using measuring instruments, such as calipers, vernier gauges, or protractors. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 8% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 92% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic, and what do they earn?
33,190 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $46,170 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +6.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/molders-shapers-and-casters-except-metal-and-plastic
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