What is the salary and career path for a tool and die maker?
Tool and die maker is an exact match to Tool and Die Makers (SOC 51-4111); the OEWS May 2025 median is $64,050 a year ($30.79 an hour), from $44,680 at the 10th percentile to $92,680 at the 90th. BLS projects a 10.8% employment decline for the code over 2024–2034 as older toolmakers retire and offshoring and automation reduce demand, though about 4,700 openings a year still arise almost entirely from replacement. It is learned through a 4–5 year apprenticeship rather than a degree or license.
- Tool and Die Makers earn a national median $64,050/yr ($30.79/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4111); the top 10% clear $92,680.
- It is an exact-match role: BLS Tool and Die Makers (SOC 51-4111) at a $64,050 median, distinct from general machinists (SOC 51-4041) who make production parts rather than the tooling.
- No degree or license is required; the path is a 4–5 year apprenticeship plus NIMS certifications and GD&T/CMM skill.
- BLS projects a 10.8% decline for SOC 51-4111 through 2034 — offshoring and automation shrink the trade — though about 4,700 mostly-replacement openings a year remain; the ladder runs apprentice ($44,680) to journeyman ($64,050 median) to senior toolmaker ($78,770) to tool-room lead ($92,680 top decile).
Career Path
How do you become a tool and die maker?
Tool and die apprentice
Learning precision machining, grinding and bench fitting under a journeyman; apprentice pay sits near the 10th percentile of $44,680 for SOC 51-4111.
Journeyman tool and die maker
Building and repairing dies, molds and fixtures to tolerance around the $64,050 median for the code.
Senior toolmaker / mold maker
Building complex progressive dies or injection molds pays toward the 75th percentile of $78,770.
Tool room lead / tooling engineer
Leading the tool room or moving into tooling engineering reaches the 90th percentile of $92,680.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays tool and die makers the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4111. National median: $64,050. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does tool and die maker pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles tool and die makers most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: tool and die makers rank 3 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected −10.8% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly tool and die makers clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4111 (tool and die makers) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do tool and die makers need?
A 4–5 year registered apprenticeship is the primary path to journeyman toolmaker; the defining credential of the trade. See all state licences →
National Institute for Metalworking Skills credentials in machining, grinding and tool-and-die that verify competency by exam and performance.
Fluency in geometric dimensioning and tolerancing so tooling is built and inspected to the part's true datums and tolerances.
Wire/sinker EDM and CNC machining certificates for the equipment used to cut hardened die and mold components.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do tool and die makers use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 51-4111
Salary Levers
How do tool and die makers earn above the $64,050 BLS median?
Tooling specialty
Complex progressive dies and precision injection molds pay above simple fixtures, moving from the $44,680 band toward the $64,050 median
Industry sector
Aerospace, medical-device and defense tooling pay above general job shops, toward the $78,770 seventy-fifth percentile
CNC, EDM and CAD/CAM depth
Programming and running CNC and EDM and modeling tooling in CAD/CAM commands a premium as the trade modernizes
Tool-room lead or tooling engineer
Leading the tool room or moving into tooling engineering is what reaches the $92,680 top decile
This Route vs. College
Is becoming a tool and die maker worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 51-4111. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Tool and Die Maker Career, Frequently Asked Questions
Tool and Die Maker career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring tool and die makers?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Tool and Die Maker
Everything for tool and die makers in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full tool and die maker cluster.