compression moulding machine operator
Compression moulding machine operators set up and operate machines to mould plastic products, according to requirements. They select and install dies on press. Compression moulding machine operators weigh the amount of premixed compound needed and pour it into the die well. They regulate the temperature of dies.
compression moulding machine operator compression moulding machine operators set up and operate machines to mould plastic products, according to requirements. They select and install dies on press. The role 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 compression moulding machine parts, dies, quality standards, types of plastic, optimise production processes parameters.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £32,644 a year for Plastics process operatives (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 8114). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 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 “Plant and machine operators and assemblers” in India, from the Government of India's Periodic Labour Force Survey (January–December 2025). It covers everyone in this group, not only compression moulding machine operator, 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 8. 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
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Administration and Management
- Computers and Electronics
- Mechanical
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
What you'd actually do
- Measure and examine extruded products to locate defects and to check for conformance to specifications, adjusting controls as necessary to alter products.
- Determine setup procedures and select machine dies and parts, according to specifications.
- Start machines and set controls to regulate vacuum, air pressure, sizing rings, and temperature, and to synchronize speed of extrusion.
- Reel extruded products into rolls of specified lengths and weights.
- Install dies, machine screws, and sizing rings on machines that extrude thermoplastic or metal materials.
- Change dies on extruding machines, according to production line changes.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does compression moulding machine operator do?
Compression moulding machine operators set up and operate machines to mould plastic products, according to requirements. They select and install dies on press. Compression moulding machine operators weigh the amount of premixed compound needed and pour it into the die well. They regulate the temperature of dies.
What skills does compression moulding machine operator need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include compression moulding machine parts, dies, quality standards, types of plastic, optimise production processes parameters, dump batches. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace compression moulding machine operator?
Our AI-durability model gives compression moulding machine operator 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.