Your work. Your records.
Molding Machine Workplace Records Guide
Molding and casting work connects machine setup with continuous monitoring and product checks. If output or defects become an employment issue, distinguish the setup you inherited from adjustments you made and instructions supplied during the run.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Shift handover
Record the machine condition and any pending issue you were told about when taking over.
Inspection result
Describe the kind of defect observed and when the quality reviewer was notified.
Adjustment authority
Identify who directed a pressure, temperature or cycle change without retaining confidential settings.
Start with the work you actually do
Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (51-4072.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Measure and visually inspect products for surface and dimension defects to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments.Source task 10174 · updated 07/2016
- Observe continuous operation of automatic machines to ensure that products meet specifications and to detect jams or malfunctions, making adjustments as necessary.Source task 10173 · updated 07/2016
- Set up, operate, or tend metal or plastic molding, casting, or coremaking machines to mold or cast metal or thermoplastic parts or products.Source task 10175 · updated 07/2016
- Turn valves and dials of machines to regulate pressure, temperature, and speed and feed rates, and to set cycle times.Source task 10177 · updated 07/2016
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4072). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $16.02 | $18.76 | $22.59 | $39,010 |
| Arizona | $18.22 | $22.56 | $28.02 | $46,930 |
| Arkansas | $17.39 | $21.53 | $23.85 | $44,790 |
| Connecticut | $18.27 | $22.23 | $28.43 | $46,240 |
| Delaware | $17.98 | $21.74 | $23.41 | $45,220 |
| Florida | $17.19 | $18.48 | $22.74 | $38,440 |
| Georgia | $18.17 | $20.79 | $26.95 | $43,250 |
| Hawaii | $34.25 | $37.29 | $42.87 | $77,560 |
| Idaho | $16.63 | $20.52 | $23.01 | $42,690 |
| Indiana | $17.21 | $21.29 | $25.53 | $44,290 |
| Iowa | $17.90 | $21.74 | $26.71 | $45,220 |
| Kansas | $18.05 | $20.70 | $21.58 | $43,050 |
| Kentucky | $18.74 | $22.65 | $27.71 | $47,110 |
| Louisiana | $16.60 | $18.58 | $21.76 | $38,650 |
| Maine | $22.88 | $28.47 | $31.01 | $59,230 |
| Michigan | $17.77 | $18.99 | $22.77 | $39,490 |
| Minnesota | $19.36 | $23.84 | $27.74 | $49,590 |
| Mississippi | $17.26 | $19.10 | $23.10 | $39,730 |
| Missouri | $18.34 | $21.21 | $25.64 | $44,120 |
| Montana | $17.89 | $20.84 | $24.21 | $43,340 |
| Nebraska | $17.95 | $23.32 | $25.30 | $48,500 |
| New Hampshire | $18.79 | $22.89 | $25.22 | $47,610 |
| New Mexico | $20.19 | $20.19 | $20.98 | $41,990 |
| New York | $18.91 | $21.40 | $23.51 | $44,500 |
| North Carolina | $17.38 | $20.01 | $23.77 | $41,630 |
| North Dakota | $21.95 | $22.97 | $25.54 | $47,780 |
| Ohio | $18.16 | $21.55 | $23.92 | $44,830 |
| Oklahoma | $18.12 | $21.96 | $27.65 | $45,680 |
| Pennsylvania | $17.99 | $22.48 | $26.19 | $46,760 |
| Rhode Island | $16.45 | $20.20 | $24.25 | $42,020 |
| South Dakota | $17.92 | $19.59 | $21.50 | $40,750 |
| Tennessee | $16.53 | $18.66 | $22.32 | $38,820 |
| Texas | $17.08 | $19.78 | $23.77 | $41,140 |
| Utah | $20.37 | $22.47 | $28.38 | $46,750 |
| Vermont | $18.23 | $21.41 | $22.85 | $44,530 |
| Virginia | $17.39 | $21.81 | $24.19 | $45,370 |
| West Virginia | $19.23 | $20.43 | $25.76 | $42,500 |
| Wisconsin | $17.71 | $21.27 | $23.83 | $44,230 |
| Wyoming | $18.35 | $18.35 | $22.53 | $38,160 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Identify the run conditions
Describe the material, machine and product type at a level you may share. Note whether tooling and setup were complete when you took over. Record when a supervisor changed the production target or authorized a process adjustment.
Keep defect timing clear
Separate the first observed defect from the time you reported it and the decision to stop, adjust or continue. Note how pieces were inspected and who reviewed the result. A rejected lot does not by itself establish who caused the variation.
Protect process information
Do not copy proprietary recipes, tooling drawings or machine control exports. Use your own schedule and permitted employment messages, plus a description of the relevant inspection and downtime records. Avoid altering production records to match a later recollection.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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