SOC 51-4072 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN · 8 metro areas compared
At $46,420, median pay for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Fort Wayne, IN tracks the national median of $44,350 closely.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to decline
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- -3.8%
- Openings per year
- 15,900
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Fort Wayne, IN.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
At $46,420, median pay for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Fort Wayne, IN tracks the national median of $44,350 closely. Pay ranges from under $34,420 at the tenth percentile to more than $61,030 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $36,560 to $57,720.
Employment stands at 400, or 1.8 jobs per thousand held locally. Within the state, Evansville records the highest median at $61,160. Of the 442 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 297th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,420 | −22.4% |
| 25th | $36,560 | −17.6% |
| Median (50th) | $46,420 | +4.7% |
| 75th | $57,720 | +30.1% |
| 90th | $61,030 | +37.6% |
| Mean | $47,310 | +6.7% |
Other metro areas in Indiana
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evansville | $61,160 | 790 | |
| 2 | Michigan City | $45,600 | 300 | |
| 3 | Elkhart | $43,880 | 530 | |
| 4 | Terre Haute | $43,880 | 60 | |
| 5 | Indianapolis | $39,880 | 1,480 | |
| 6 | Columbus | $38,420 | 330 | |
| 7 | South Bend | $37,650 | 420 | |
| 8 | Lafayette | $36,560 | — |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Fort Wayne run 7.4% below the national average, so the median of $46,420 goes as far as $50,130 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 13.0% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$46,420as reported by BLSLocal price level
92.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$50,130US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $46,420 a year, 4.7% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $34,420 to $61,030 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 400 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Evansville, at $61,160.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Fort Wayne, IN?
The median annual wage is $46,420, or $22.32 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $44,350, so pay in Fort Wayne, IN is 4.7% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Fort Wayne, IN earns more than $61,030 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $34,420 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Evansville, at $61,160 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 400 jobs in this occupation in Fort Wayne, IN. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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