Plan the order of cuts
Study the tool's drawing and its allowed size variation, then decide which surfaces to machine first.
Career profile
Tool and Die Maker
Tool and die makers build and repair the precise tooling factories use to shape parts.
A die can look right yet turn out wrongly shaped parts. So you measure, fit and adjust its pieces until they work together.
A day in the life
Mill and grind a die piece
Set up a milling machine to rough out the piece, then finish it exactly on a surface grinder.
Measure a critical dimension
Before you accept the piece, take a micrometer reading and compare it with the size on the drawing.
Fit the die and test it
Grind or shim pieces to fit, then rework the die if a trial sample misses specifications.
Fix a worn punch
On stamping jobs, find damaged tooling, replace or sharpen it, then recheck the setup.
Quick facts
Technical training + shop experience
United States
$64,050 a year
United States · May 2025
4,300 openings a year
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
Technical training + shop experienceBuild skills through an apprenticeship or technical program, with substantial learning on the job.
Pay
$64,050 a yearNational median employee wage; about $30.79 an hour.
Outlook
4,300 openings a yearEmployment is projected to fall 9.2% during 2025–35, with openings still expected as workers leave.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You enjoy finding why two pieces do not fit.
- You would rather measure again than guess.
- You like tracing a recurring defect to its cause.
Things to weigh
- Expect standing, machine noise, and close attention to protective equipment.
- Some production-support jobs run overnight, which can reshape your sleep and social schedule.
Where AI may help
Computer-aided design models tooling; computer numerical control, or CNC, runs programmed machine movements.
What people still lead
You still investigate wear, judge repairs, and help resolve troublesome die setups.
What we can’t predict yet
Automation may absorb more programming and machining work; how much hands-on fitting remains will vary with the tooling.
Pay in context
Earnings
The U.S. median was $64,050 annually, or $30.79 hourly, in May 2025. Half earned more and half less.
The wage spread
The lowest-paid 10% earned below $44,680; the highest-paid 10% earned above $92,680. These are wage percentiles, not beginner and senior rates.
Workplace matters
Annual medians were $78,200 in transportation equipment manufacturing, $63,160 in fabricated metal products, and $62,780 in machinery manufacturing.
Pay while learning
Apprentice pay increases as skill and experience milestones are reached.
Openings despite fewer jobs
About 4,300 openings are projected annually during 2025–35, alongside a 9.2% employment decline. Openings do not mean the occupation is growing.
Getting started
Join an employer apprenticeship
Several years; the Wisconsin tool and die maker route described here takes five.Paid
- What the route involves
- Learn machining with experienced workers while taking classes in drawings, shop math, materials, and digital tooling.
- What it can lead to
- Develop practical tool-and-die skills while earning wages and completing the apprenticeship's workplace and classroom training.
- What to check
- Requirements depend on the sponsor. Moraine Park's Wisconsin route requires applicants to be 18, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and submit an apprentice/employer application.
Complete a tooling program
Moraine Park's technical diploma takes two years; compare local programs' entry requirements and costs.
- What the route involves
- Practice blueprint reading, precision measurement, CNC programming, and building mold and stamping dies in a technical college shop.
- What it can lead to
- Gain initial skills for tooling and machining roles. Moraine Park's diploma also covers the related classroom training for Wisconsin's Tool and Die Technologies apprenticeship.
- What to check
- Expect further workplace training to become fully competent.
Choose between learning through an employer and building initial skills in a technical program.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization.
Get dependable at the bench
After entry, build consistent habits in safe machine setup, measurement, and fitting. Learn to explain your inspection results to the experienced maker checking your work.
Connect the whole build
Develop from individual machining operations toward taking a tooling component from its drawing through cutting, inspection, and assembly.
Become the person others consult
Specialize in complex stamping dies, tackle difficult setup problems, and train apprentices as your experience grows.
Where you can work
Stamping production plants
You work with die engineers to keep production tooling usable. Repairs and die changeovers matter here, and some positions cover night shifts.
- Indoors
- Shift work
- Safety-sensitive
Product development tooling centers
You build dies, molds, and assembly tools for sample products. The work helps test engineering ideas, so the focus is proving a new tool can work.
- Indoors
- Safety-sensitive
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Sketch a fixture that would hold a rectangular eraser in the same position each time. Mark where it touches the fixture and how you would check its position. Revise the sketch if the eraser could slide. Notice whether you enjoy working out the fit.
Stay safe: Keep this a paper exercise; no cutting or powered tools are needed.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Tool and Die Makers — 51-4111.00. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Machinists and Tool and Die Makers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Moraine Park Technical College. Tool and Die Technologies Apprenticeship. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Moraine Park Technical College. CNC / Tool and Die Technologies Program. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- TE Connectivity. 3rd shift — Tool & Die Maker III, Greensboro. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- TE Connectivity. Manufacturing Technician Co-op, Middletown. Accessed 2026-10-03.