What Do Metal Pourer or Caster Do?
Metal Pourer or Caster Job Description Operate hand-controlled mechanisms to pour and regulate the flow of molten metal into molds to produce castings or ingots.
Life As a Metal Pourer or Caster
- Position equipment such as ladles, grinding wheels, pouring nozzles, or crucibles, or signal other workers to position equipment.
- Assemble and embed cores in casting frames, using hand tools and equipment.
- Remove solidified steel or slag from pouring nozzles, using long bars or oxygen burners.
- Skim slag or remove excess metal from ingots or equipment, using hand tools, strainers, rakes, or burners, collecting scrap for recycling.
- Pull levers to lift ladle stoppers and to allow molten steel to flow into ingot molds to specified heights.
- Transport metal ingots to storage areas, using forklifts.
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What a Metal Pourer or Caster Should Know
These are the skills Metal Pourers and Casters say are the most useful in their careers:
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Other Metal Pourer or Caster Job Titles
- Busher
- Ladle Car Operator
- Buggy Ladle Tender
- Pourer
- Header
Is There Job Demand for Metal Pourers and Casters?
There were about 8,400 jobs for Metal Pourer or Caster in 2016 (in the United States). There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Metal Pourer or Caster. The BLS estimates 500 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Metal Pourer or Caster are Arkansas, Georgia, and Idaho. Watch out if you plan on working in Colorado, Minnesota, or New York. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Metal Pourer or Caster Salary
Metal Pourers and Casters make between $26,480 and $56,900 a year.

Metal Pourers and Casters who work in South Carolina, New York, or Alabama, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Metal Pourers and Casters in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $46,530 |
Arizona | $35,070 |
Arkansas | $42,820 |
California | $35,710 |
Colorado | $37,760 |
Georgia | $35,940 |
Illinois | $47,760 |
Indiana | $37,540 |
Iowa | $39,880 |
Kentucky | $43,340 |
Massachusetts | $37,420 |
Michigan | $41,220 |
Minnesota | $35,450 |
Mississippi | $37,560 |
Missouri | $36,880 |
New Jersey | $37,990 |
New York | $46,420 |
North Carolina | $43,590 |
Ohio | $34,600 |
Oregon | $41,340 |
Pennsylvania | $39,570 |
South Carolina | $49,420 |
Tennessee | $42,790 |
Texas | $40,160 |
Washington | $38,450 |
Wisconsin | $35,810 |
What Tools do Metal Pourers and Casters Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Metal Pourers and Casters:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
How to Become a Metal Pourer or Caster
What education is needed to be a Metal Pourer or Caster?

How many years of work experience do I need?

Where Metal Pourers and Casters Are Employed

Below are examples of industries where Metal Pourers and Casters work:

Similar Careers
Those interested in being a Metal Pourer or Caster may also be interested in:
- Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers
- Postal Service Mail Carriers
Are you already one of the many Metal Pourer or Caster in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Featured Schools
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