Highest Tool and Die Workers’ Salaries in the US
The US labor market is on the cusp of transformation as the nation faces worker shortages, especially within skilled trades. A fulfilling career and a stable income gain be had in trade work. To give a sense as to how lucrative, we looked at explosive workers' wages across the United States.
JP Lespinasse
VP of Brand, Content and Comms, Lightcast
Rebecca Milde
Research Analyst
Tool and Die Makers earn wages above the overall US median, but pay also varies by location. State-level median hourly earnings show one side of the picture; cost-of-living-adjusted earnings offer another way to compare what those wages may mean across states.
The states in which you can earn the best living as a tool and die worker are: Washington, Kentucky Kansas, Michigan and Indiana; while Hawaii ranks lowest.
These comparisons put compensation at the front of the workforce story. They also set up a key question for employers: how can they prepare for future openings in an occupation where nearly half of workers are already 55 or older?
A workforce with significant replacement needs
Tool and Die Makers have the highest share of workers age 55 and older among skilled trades, at 47%. Construction and Building Inspectors follow at 43%, and Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators at 37%.
The age breakdown adds detail: 12% of Tool and Die Makers are 65 or older, while only 13% are age 34 or younger. For every Tool and Die Maker age 34 or younger, there are roughly 3.8 workers age 55 or older.
That profile contrasts sharply with Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters, where only 4% of workers are over 55. The 43-percentage-point difference between the occupations is a reminder that skilled trades do not share a single workforce profile.
Planning ahead for a long training path
Tool and Die Makers typically need extensive on-the-job training to become competent, along with some postsecondary nondegree education. Because developing the necessary skills takes time, employers may need to plan for future openings before vacancies appear.
Employment is projected to decline 4% from 2025 to 2030. Even so, employers still face thousands of replacement hires each year as workers leave the occupation. A smaller workforce may absorb some attrition, but not all of it.
Job posting data provides a view of the skills employers seek and can help inform how new workers are prepared for the occupation.
Tool and Die Maker work can be less physically demanding than some other skilled trades, which may allow workers to remain in the occupation longer. That makes early training, workforce planning, and the transfer of experienced workers’ knowledge especially relevant.
Lightcast’s research report, Defining the Skilled Trades: A Data-Driven Blueprint for the Future, provides broader context on the occupations in this group and the trends shaping their labor supply.
Recent Posts
He Found His Trade in Flip-Flops. Thirty Years Later, He Calls It a Brotherhood.
Highest Explosives Workers’ Salaries in the US
