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.
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. The role reports a median annual salary of $63,180 in the US and is projected to decline by 11% over the next decade. Entry typically requires a Postsecondary nondegree award, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.50 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include mechanical tools, types of metal, dies, quality standards, machine tools.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £39,902 a year for Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 5222). ONS rates this estimate acceptable: it rests on a small sample, so treat it as a rough guide. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
Average monthly earnings of salaried employees in the occupation group “Craft and related trades workers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only Tool and die makers, and it is not US pay converted to rupees.
Source: MoSPI (Government of India), Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2025, Table 51 — average wage/salary earnings of regular wage/salaried employees, NCO-2015 division 7. Official India data gives one average per occupation group: there are no official India figures for single careers, experience levels or cities. Read the report
How to get here in India
The usual route into this career in India. Each step links to the official page it comes from.
- 1 · Qualification ITI trade 'Tool & Die Maker (Dies & Moulds)' (2 years, after Class 10 with science and maths) under the Craftsmen Training Scheme[1][2]
- 2 · Certification Pass the all-India trade test to get the National Trade Certificate (NTC) from DGT[1]
- 3 · First role Die maker in a tool room[1]
Rules change: check the exam body's and regulator's current notice before you apply.
- DGT — Tool & Die Maker (Dies & Moulds) trade syllabus (Craftsmen Training Scheme) (read on 2026-09-27)
- DGT — List of CTS courses (read on 2026-09-27)
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Production and Processing
- Design
- English Language
- Engineering and Technology
- Education and Training
- Computers and Electronics
A day in the life
You start the morning studying blueprints for a new die that will stamp metal parts, visualising how each piece fits together and planning the sequence of work. You set up a milling machine and grind components to exact dimensions, checking each against the drawing with precision measuring tools. Mid-morning you switch to a computer-controlled lathe, running a program to shape a complex part. After lunch you fit and assemble the die, filing, polishing and adjusting parts by hand until everything aligns perfectly. You also repair a worn jig brought in from the production floor. Late in the afternoon you inspect the finished die for smoothness and accuracy, then run a trial stamping to confirm it produces parts within tolerance. The work demands patience and exceptional accuracy, but creating tools that allow a factory to make endless identical parts is deeply rewarding.
Illustrative: one typical day, written from the O*NET task statements for this occupation. Real days vary by employer and seniority.
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Tool and die makers do?
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.
What does a typical day look like in Tool and die makers?
You start the morning studying blueprints for a new die that will stamp metal parts, visualising how each piece fits together and planning the sequence of work. You set up a milling machine and grind components to exact dimensions, checking each against the drawing with precision measuring tools. Mid-morning you switch to a computer-controlled lathe, running a program to shape a complex part.
How much does Tool and die makers earn?
The median annual salary for Tool and die makers in the US is $63,180.
What is the job outlook for Tool and die makers?
The role is projected to decline by 11% over the next decade. Current US employment is approximately 55,200 workers.
How do I become tool and die makers?
The typical entry education is a Postsecondary nondegree award. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Tool and die makers need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include mechanical tools, types of metal, dies, quality standards, machine tools, prepare pieces for joining. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Tool and die makers?
Our AI-durability model gives Tool and die makers a score of 0.50 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Tool and die makers has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.