Career
Model makers, metal and plastic
Make models and prototypes from metal and plastic.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job do
- Study blueprints, drawings, and sketches to determine material dimensions, required equipment, and operations sequences.
- Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, drill presses, punch presses, or bandsaws, to fabricate prototypes or models.
- Program computer numerical control (CNC) machines to fabricate model parts.
- Inspect and test products to verify conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments or circuit testers.
- Cut, shape, and form metal parts, using lathes, power saws, snips, power brakes and shears, files, and mallets.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on objects & tools, then information & systems?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Study blueprints, drawings, and sketches to determine material dimensions, required equipment, and operations sequences.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Quality Control Analysis.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though moderate-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $63,340 a year and 200 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Sheet Metal Technology/SheetworkingCIP 48.0506
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- Tool and Die Makers$64,050 · -9.2%
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic$63,870 · -3.4%
- Machinists$58,750 · +1.0%
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers$53,710 · -17.0%
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic$58,000 · -22.8%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.