Tool and Die Makers

Analyze specifications, lay out metal stock, set up and operate machine tools, and fit and assemble parts to make and repair dies, cutting tools, jigs, fixtures, gauges, and machinists' hand tools.

What you'd actually do

• Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators.
• Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
• Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
• Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
• Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools, hand tools, or welders.
• Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.

How you get there

Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

The feel of the work

Time pressure is a real part of the job; it rewards working independently; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)

Working for yourself

About 0% of tool and die makers are self-employed.

Who it tends to fit

This work tends to fit people who are hands-on and organized and detail-focused.

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Quick questions

How much does a tool and die maker make?

The median pay is $30.79 per hour — roughly $64,000 a year, with the real range running from about $21.48/hr (10th percentile) to $44.56/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Do you need a degree to be a tool and die maker?

The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).

What does a tool and die maker actually do all day?

Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators. Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes. Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.