Production · Holland code RCI

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.

Also called: Tool and Die Machinist, Tool and Die Maker, Tool and Fixture Specialist, Tool Maker, Die Machinist, Die Repair Laborer, Die Repair Technician (Die Repair Tech), Jig and Fixture Repairer.

O*NET 51-4111.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $64,050; Middle half earn $51,490 to $78,770. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Post-Secondary Certificate; 41% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Select metals to be used from a range of metals and alloys, based on properties such as hardness or heat tolerance.
Lift, position, and secure machined parts on surface plates or worktables, using hoists, vises, v-blocks, or angle plates.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.1 / 5
Monitoring3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.0 / 5
Active Learning3.0 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.9 / 5
Speaking2.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mechanical4.5 / 5
Mathematics3.5 / 5
Production and Processing3.5 / 5
Design3.4 / 5
English Language3.0 / 5
Engineering and Technology2.9 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic99
Investigative33
Artistic15
Social0
Enterprising0
Conventional53

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

tooling engineer · DE Werkzeugingenieur/Werkzeugingenieurin · FR ingénieur outillage/ingénieure outillage
industrial tool design engineer · DE Entwicklungsingenieur Industriewerkzeug/Entwicklungsingenieurin Industriewerkzeug · FR ingénieur en mécanique industrielle/ingénieure en mécanique industrielle
mouldmaker · DE Gießereimechaniker Schwerpunkt Handformguss/Gießereimechanikerin Schwerpunkt Handformguss · FR mouleur noyauteur/mouleuse noyauteuse
casting mould maker · DE Technischer Modellbauer Fachrichtung Gießerei/Technische Modellbauerin Fachrichtung Gießerei · FR modeleur mouliste/modeleuse mouliste
tool and die maker · DE Werkzeugbautechniker/Werkzeugbautechnikerin · FR ajusteur-outilleur/ajusteuse-outilleuse
fitter and turner · DE Zerspanungsmechaniker/Zerspanungsmechanikerin · FR tourneur ajusteur/tourneuse ajusteuse

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out (5222)8,600 employed
Metal machining setters and setter-operators (5221)40,400 employed
Metal working machine operatives (8120)28,100 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.53. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-4111).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test