Foundry Mold and Coremakers Salary
Foundry Mold and Coremakers in Pittsburgh, PA make a median of $47,550 a year, or about $22.86 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $61K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.67), which stretches that salary to about $50,227 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,299/month, about 39.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $48K get you in Pittsburgh?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Pittsburgh’s Regional Price Parity (94.67). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About foundry mold and coremakers
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What this looks like in Pittsburgh
Foundry mold and coremakers pay in Pittsburgh tracks closely to the national median, $48K locally vs. $48K nationwide, a 1% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,299/month, which is 40.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.67 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for foundry mold and coremakers in metros near Pittsburgh, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton | $43K | $43K |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $54K | $53K |
| Erie | $46K | $51K |
| Reading | $46K | $48K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Pittsburgh, PA
Entry-level foundry mold and coremakers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $48K. Top earners bring in $61K or more, a $22K spread from bottom to top.
Foundry Mold and Coremakers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Foundry Mold and Coremakers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $67K | +39% | 270 |
| Missouri | $61K | +28% | 590 |
| Illinois | $57K | +19% | 390 |
| Minnesota | $57K | +18% | 470 |
| Massachusetts | $56K | +16% | 60 |
| New Jersey | $55K | +15% | 330 |
| New York | $54K | +13% | 110 |
| Alabama | $51K | +6% | 850 |
| Indiana | $50K | +4% | 720 |
| Iowa | $49K | +2% | 480 |
| Ohio | $49K | +2% | 980 |
| Washington | $48K | +1% | 160 |
| Kansas | $48K | -0% | 150 |
| Connecticut | $47K | -2% | 110 |
| California | $47K | -2% | 420 |
| North Carolina | $47K | -2% | 260 |
| Georgia | $46K | -4% | 220 |
| Michigan | $46K | -4% | 2,050 |
| Nebraska | $46K | -5% | 90 |
| Utah | $45K | -7% | 110 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -7% | 1,230 |
| Wisconsin | $44K | -8% | 1,270 |
| Kentucky | $44K | -9% | N/A |
| Oklahoma | $44K | -9% | 120 |
| New Hampshire | $43K | -10% | 40 |
| Virginia | $43K | -10% | 110 |
| Colorado | $42K | -12% | 40 |
| Arkansas | $42K | -12% | 60 |
| Texas | $42K | -12% | 230 |
| South Carolina | $41K | -15% | 150 |
| Mississippi | $40K | -18% | 70 |
| Florida | $38K | -20% | 140 |
| Tennessee | $37K | -22% | 190 |
Showing 1–10 of 33 states
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track foundry mold and coremakers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Pittsburgh numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a foundry mold and coremaker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Pittsburgh?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $48K, rent takes 40.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,299/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Pittsburgh?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new foundry mold and coremakers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,311/month. At HUD’s $1,299/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $48K locally vs. $48K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Pittsburgh compare to the national average for foundry mold and coremakers?
Pittsburgh pays $48K median vs. the U.S. average of $48K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $50K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do foundry mold and coremakers make in Pittsburgh, PA?
The median is $47,550 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,520, and experienced foundry mold and coremakers can clear $60,960. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $48K enough to live in Pittsburgh?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,232/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,299/month, which eats 40.2% 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 Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh has a Regional Price Parity of 94.67 (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 $50,227 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.