◆ Skilled Trades & Crafts

What a tool and die maker
really does.

20 tasks, each one witnessed by the sources that watched the job — and behind every one, a prompt you can use tonight.

20evidenced tasks
56,930in the US (2025)
$64,050median pay / year
8systems it runs on
See the 20 tasks ↓Open in the atlasThe full career map →
This is what one task looks like here
Set up machine tools
Set up the milling and lathe for the A-series punch run: fit the 12mm …4 sources agree

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The work, task by task

20 tasks
Hands on the work16
Set up machine tools+
Set up the milling and lathe for the A-series punch run: fit the 12mm collets, install the HSS endmill, square and dial the vice to 0.02mm, load the program for the lot, verify coolant and chip evacuation, then sign the setup log.
escojdonetwiki4 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Create precision tools and dies+
Make the D45 trimming die: mill the cavity to print dimensions, harden the cutting face to 58 HRC, grind the punch to the 0.01mm runout tolerance, assemble with guide pillars, then run a first-article scrap to confirm fit.
escojdwiki3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
km/h RPMMeasure and mark metal stock+
Measure and mark the 150mm bar for the B-plate: scribe the centreline, transfer hole locations with the template, punch the drill centres, verify critical offsets with the micrometer and height gauge, and note any stock scrap to the foreman.
escojdonet3 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Finish and adjust parts+
Finish the carrier plate parts from yesterday: deburr all edges to remove sharp flash, lap the mating faces until they meet the .005mm flatness spec, test-assemble, adjust the locator pin length, then log measurements and clear the parts for shipment.
jdonet2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Follow tooling instructions+
Follow the tooling instructions on job 782: read the sequence notes, set the tool offsets to the written values, confirm the feed and speed schedule on the sheet, check fixtures match the drawing, then initial the instruction page to confirm compliance.
escowiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Select appropriate materials for tool manufacturing+
Select steel for the die set: compare the wear and toughness requirements on the spec, pick A2 for cutting edges and S7 for shock locations, order the certified bar lengths, and record heat-treatment needs before releasing the purchase request.
onetwiki2 agree
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Cutting technologies+
Set up the milling cutter and plasma torch for the new batch, verify tool offsets and coolant flow, cut the heat-treated blanks to net size using the high-speed strategy, collect and bag steel swarf for scrap disposal, and log cycle times for the shift sheet.
esco
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Remove inadequate workpieces+
Inspect the suspect parts from run C12, mark and remove the warped workpieces from the fixture, measure rejected tolerances and record the readings on the inspection sheet, quarantine the rejects in the red bin, and schedule a regrind or recycle operation with maintenance.
esco
when the reply comes backPush once: ask it to sharpen the weakest part, and to say what it assumed. Helpful?
Grow the practice2
Keep the record1
Keep it safe1

What the work runs on

named inside the evidenced tasks
4 tasksAutodesk Inventorreferences the final tolerances and assembly details so finish adjustments meet drawing requirements
3 tasks1CadCam Unigraphicsprepares and simulates CNC toolpaths and machine setup for the run
3 tasksDassault Systemes SolidWorkscreates detailed part and assembly models to verify fits and clearances before machining
3 tasksMicrosoft Wordstores and displays the tooling instruction sheet and sequence notes for the jobOpen its task library →
2 tasksAutodesk AutoCADproduces and references the layout template and dimensioned drawing used for marking
2 tasksSAPchecks material certificates, stock levels and places the purchase requisition for certified bar stock
2 tasksMicrosoft Excellog temperature schedules and record cycle start/stop times for traceabilityOpen its task library →
1 taskMicrosoft Projectview the shop schedule, reserve machining slots and shift tasks to meet delivery dates
Browse every evidenced software task →

The same task, four heights

this page is height one
ExecuteDo today's task, with fewer mistakesyou are here → ImproveMake it easy for the next person to acceptin the atlas → DecideWork out the right move when it is unclearin the atlas → BecomeLearn the pattern so it stops coming backin the atlas →

Can AI actually do this job?

the honest answer

It can

where it genuinely helps
  • Play the other person, over and over
  • Grade its own suggestion against your goal

It cannot

where it stops, completely
  • Live with the outcome the way a tool and die maker has to
L · R7 of R7This job sits on dying · manufacturing — real theory, real diagnosis, but reality still holds the grading pen.

What the work pays

two countries, two different measures

United States

this exact occupation · BLS 2025
  • $64,050 a year — the middle: half earn more, half earn less
  • The lowest tenth earn near $44,680; the top tenth near $92,680
  • 56,930 people employed in this occupation

India

the occupation GROUP, not this job · PLFS via ILOSTAT 2025
  • ₹16,825 a month — the median for Craft and related trades workers, the group this work sits in
  • India publishes pay by broad occupation group, so this covers many jobs besides this one. It is a shape, not a salary.
read this carefullyThese two numbers are not comparable and must not be converted into each other. One is a yearly figure for this job alone; the other is a monthly figure for a whole family of jobs. What travels between them is the pattern, not the amount: experience lifts pay almost everywhere.

Where the evidence lives

open any of it yourself
O*NETThe US Department of Labor's own record of this job6 of these tasks ESCOThe European skills and occupations register12 of these tasks Job descriptionsReal postings, in the wild6 of these tasks WikipediaHow the world describes this work6 of these tasks US Bureau of Labor StatisticsPay and employment, by occupation2025 figures UK NOS SEMET309Producing/Finishing mould, press tool or die components using hand fitnational standard UK NOS SEMET311Producing mould, press tool or die components by manual machiningnational standard

Close to this work

12 nearby
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Questions people actually ask

You usually start by reading work orders or blueprints in the morning, then set up machine tools like mills or CNCs to cut and shape metal components. Expect cycles of measuring parts with micrometers or CMMs, finishing and adjusting parts, and running heat-treating steps with pyrometer controls to harden tools.

Afternoons often go to maintenance tasks: documenting procedures in Microsoft Word or Excel, checking equipment availability, removing inadequate workpieces, and collaborating with engineers to tweak dies or update CAD files in SolidWorks or AutoCAD. The day mixes hands-on metalwork and paperwork.

Yes, AI tools can speed sketching or suggest machining strategies, but you must verify every output. Use AI suggestions as a starting point, then check dimensions in SolidWorks/Inventor or AutoCAD and validate the toolpaths in your CAM system (1CadCam, Unigraphics) before cutting metal.

Never let AI replace inspection: operate precision measuring equipment and physical tests, update documentation in Word/Excel, and follow heat-treating parameters exactly. Keep SAP or job travelers accurate—AI should assist, not finalize, production-critical decisions.

Precision measuring and interpreting drawings. If you can read a print, take precise measurements with micrometers or CMMs, and translate those into machine setup and adjustments, you’ll avoid scrap and rework.

That skill connects to nearly every task: setting up tools, finishing parts, applying heat treatment correctly, and collaborating with engineers. Pair it with basic CAD familiarity (SolidWorks/AutoCAD) and routine documentation in Excel/Word.

km/h RPM

How far can AI take you?

one question
Be honest — how far can a language model take you on dying?
There is a real answer, and it is not the flattering one.