Foundry Mold and Coremakers Salary
Foundry Mold and Coremakers in Illinois make a median of $57,110 a year, or about $27.46 an hour. The range runs from $41K at the entry level to $63K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $60,852 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 37.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $57K get you in Illinois?
About foundry mold and coremakers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Illinois sits well above the national pay line for foundry mold and coremakers, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $48K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,407/month, which is 37.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level foundry mold and coremakers (10th percentile) start around $41K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $63K or more, a $21K spread from bottom to top.
Foundry Mold and Coremakers salary by metro in Illinois
1 metro area with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $51K | -11% | 170 |
Compare to other states
Track foundry mold and coremakers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a foundry mold and coremaker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 37.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for foundry mold and coremakers in Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new foundry mold and coremakers typically earn — is $41K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,474/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 57% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is foundry mold and coremaker a high-paying job in Illinois?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $57K here vs. $48K nationally.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for foundry mold and coremakers?
Illinois pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do foundry mold and coremakers make in Illinois?
The median is $57,110 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,240, and experienced foundry mold and coremakers can clear $62,640. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,758/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 37.4% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a foundry mold and coremakers salary go in Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median foundry mold and coremakers salary is worth about $60,852 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do foundry mold and coremakers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.
