Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

51-4061 Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, milling and engraving machines, and jig borers to make working models of metal or plastic objects. Includes template makers.

National estimates for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic
Industry profile for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic
Geographic profile for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic

National estimates for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Employment (1)	Employment RSE (3)	Mean hourly wage	Mean annual wage (2)	Wage RSE (3)
3,690	6.8 %	$ 28.40	$ 59,080	2.0 %

Percentile wage estimates for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Percentile	10%	25%	50% (Median)	75%	90%
Hourly Wage	$ 17.74	$ 20.91	$ 26.75	$ 36.98	$ 38.62
Annual Wage (2)	$ 36,900	$ 43,480	$ 55,630	$ 76,920	$ 80,330

Industry profile for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	620	0.04	$ 35.40	$ 73,630
Plastics Product Manufacturing	510	0.09	$ 22.01	$ 45,780
Specialized Design Services	480	0.35	$ 26.76	$ 55,660
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	220	0.04	$ 25.38	$ 52,780
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	220	0.08	$ 29.45	$ 61,250

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Specialized Design Services	480	0.35	$ 26.76	$ 55,660
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	80	0.14	$ 21.86	$ 45,460
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	150	0.10	$ 22.30	$ 46,380
Plastics Product Manufacturing	510	0.09	$ 22.01	$ 45,780
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing	220	0.08	$ 29.45	$ 61,250

Top paying industries for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Industry	Employment (1)	Percent of industry employment	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services	80	0.01	$ 40.85	$ 84,970
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	70	0.02	$ 39.21	$ 81,570
Management of Companies and Enterprises	70	(7)	$ 39.10	$ 81,330
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing	90	0.03	$ 36.75	$ 76,430
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	620	0.04	$ 35.40	$ 73,630

Geographic profile for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Map of employment of model makers, metal and plastic by state, May 2021

States with the highest employment level in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan	1,190	0.29	11.22	$ 32.22	$ 67,010
California	270	0.02	0.63	$ 32.67	$ 67,960
Ohio	270	0.05	1.97	$ 27.94	$ 58,120
Nebraska	250	0.27	10.13	$ 18.55	$ 38,580
Tennessee	130	0.04	1.67	$ 19.35	$ 40,250

Map of location quotient of model makers, metal and plastic by state, May 2021

States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Michigan	1,190	0.29	11.22	$ 32.22	$ 67,010
Nebraska	250	0.27	10.13	$ 18.55	$ 38,580
Rhode Island	30	0.07	2.60	$ 28.02	$ 58,280
Iowa	80	0.06	2.16	$ 27.05	$ 56,260
Ohio	270	0.05	1.97	$ 27.94	$ 58,120

Map of annual mean wages of model makers, metal and plastic by state, May 2021

Top paying states for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

State	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Connecticut	30	0.02	0.76	$ 36.46	$ 75,850
Massachusetts	110	0.03	1.22	$ 36.13	$ 75,150
California	270	0.02	0.63	$ 32.67	$ 67,960
Michigan	1,190	0.29	11.22	$ 32.22	$ 67,010
New York	120	0.01	0.52	$ 32.20	$ 66,970

Map of employment of model makers, metal and plastic by area, May 2021

Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	910	0.50	19.20	$ 33.17	$ 69,000
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	120	0.02	0.79	$ 32.49	$ 67,580
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI	120	0.23	8.72	$ 28.55	$ 59,390
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	100	0.01	0.46	$ 31.20	$ 64,900
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	80	0.03	1.18	$ 36.64	$ 76,210
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	60	0.06	2.28	$ 32.30	$ 67,180
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	50	0.01	0.56	$ 33.63	$ 69,950
Lincoln, NE	50	0.28	10.82	$ 17.08	$ 35,530
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	50	0.02	0.69	$ 24.17	$ 50,280
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	40	0.07	2.85	$ 29.96	$ 62,310

Map of location quotient of model makers, metal and plastic by area, May 2021

Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	910	0.50	19.20	$ 33.17	$ 69,000
Lincoln, NE	50	0.28	10.82	$ 17.08	$ 35,530
Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI	120	0.23	8.72	$ 28.55	$ 59,390
Dayton, OH	30	0.10	3.70	$ 20.54	$ 42,730
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA	40	0.07	2.85	$ 29.96	$ 62,310
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	60	0.06	2.28	$ 32.30	$ 67,180
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI	30	0.04	1.63	$ 21.03	$ 43,750
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	80	0.03	1.18	$ 36.64	$ 76,210
St. Louis, MO-IL	40	0.03	1.14	$ 30.75	$ 63,970
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	30	0.02	0.82	$ 31.70	$ 65,940

Map of annual mean wages of model makers, metal and plastic by area, May 2021

Top paying metropolitan areas for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Metropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA	40	0.02	0.65	$ 39.01	$ 81,140
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH	80	0.03	1.18	$ 36.64	$ 76,210
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	30	0.01	0.49	$ 35.68	$ 74,210
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	50	0.01	0.56	$ 33.63	$ 69,950
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI	910	0.50	19.20	$ 33.17	$ 69,000
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	120	0.02	0.79	$ 32.49	$ 67,580
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN	60	0.06	2.28	$ 32.30	$ 67,180
San Diego-Carlsbad, CA	30	0.02	0.82	$ 31.70	$ 65,940
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA	100	0.01	0.46	$ 31.20	$ 64,900
St. Louis, MO-IL	40	0.03	1.14	$ 30.75	$ 63,970

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area	60	0.24	9.19	$ 31.90	$ 66,360

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area	60	0.24	9.19	$ 31.90	$ 66,360

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Model Makers, Metal and Plastic:

Nonmetropolitan area	Employment (1)	Employment per thousand jobs	Location quotient (9)	Hourly mean wage	Annual mean wage (2)
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area	60	0.24	9.19	$ 31.90	$ 66,360

About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.

(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(7) The value is less than .005 percent of industry employment.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.

Other OEWS estimates and related information:

May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2021 Occupation Profiles

Technical Notes

Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022