Tool & Die Makers

Tool and die makers are among the most highly skilled production workers in the economy. These workers produce tools, dies, and special guiding and holding devices that enable machines to manufacture a variety of products we use daily — from clothing and furniture to heavy equipment and parts for aircraft. In fact, tool and die makers often are considered highly specialized machinists. Modern technology is changing the ways in which tool and die makers perform their jobs. Today, for example, these workers often use computer-aided design to develop products and parts.

Tool and die makers usually work in tool rooms. These areas are quieter than the production floor because there are fewer machines in use at one time. They are also generally clean and cool to minimize heat-related expansion of metal work pieces and to accommodate the growing number of computer-operated machines. In companies employing tool and die makers, overtime and weekend work are common, especially during peak production periods.

Tool and die makers held about 130,000 jobs in 2000. Most worked in industries that manufacture metalworking machinery and equipment, metal forgings and stampings, motor vehicles, miscellaneous plastics products, and aircraft and parts. Although they are found throughout the country, jobs are most plentiful in the Midwest, Northeast, and West, where many of the metalworking industries are located.

Most tool and die makers learn their trade through four or five years of education and training in formal apprenticeships or post-secondary programs. The best way to learn all aspects of tool and die making, according to most employers, is a formal apprenticeship program that combines classroom instruction and job experience. A growing number of tool and die makers receive most of their formal classroom training from community and technical colleges, sometimes in conjunction with an apprenticeship program.

There are several ways for skilled workers to advance. Some move into supervisory and administrative positions in their firms; many obtain a college degree and go into engineering or tool design; and some may start their own shops. Applicants with the appropriate skills and background should enjoy excellent opportunities for tool and die maker jobs. The number of workers receiving training in this occupation is expected to continue to be fewer than the number of openings created each year by tool and die makers who retire or transfer to other occupations.

Earnings: Median hourly earnings of tool and die makers were $19.76 in 2000. The middle 50 percent earned between $15.67 and $24.45. The lowest 10 percent had earnings of less than $12.44, while the top 10 percent earned more than $28.88.