Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic Salary
The median pay for a molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $37,510/year ($18.04/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $53K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $38,031 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 58.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $38K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). 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 molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Pay for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands runs about 19% below the U.S. median of $46K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,573/month, which is 58.7% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $42K | $41K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $45K | $47K |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $42K | $43K |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission | $25K | $29K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $38K. Top earners bring in $53K or more, a $24K spread from bottom to top.
Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana | $58K | +25% | 150 |
| Hawaii | $56K | +21% | 40 |
| Oregon | $53K | +14% | 410 |
| Connecticut | $53K | +14% | 170 |
| Washington | $52K | +12% | 1,130 |
| New Hampshire | $51K | +11% | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $51K | +9% | 1,200 |
| Maryland | $50K | +9% | 110 |
| Colorado | $50K | +7% | 390 |
| California | $49K | +7% | 3,590 |
| Arizona | $49K | +6% | 470 |
| Vermont | $49K | +5% | 240 |
| Maine | $49K | +5% | 120 |
| Wisconsin | $48K | +4% | 550 |
| Delaware | $48K | +4% | 90 |
| Rhode Island | $48K | +3% | N/A |
| Kansas | $47K | +3% | 680 |
| New Jersey | $47K | +3% | 620 |
| Illinois | $47K | +2% | 1,230 |
| Georgia | $47K | +2% | 760 |
| New Mexico | $47K | +2% | N/A |
| Louisiana | $47K | +2% | 100 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | +1% | 220 |
| Indiana | $46K | +0% | 1,520 |
| Missouri | $46K | +0% | 690 |
| Nebraska | $46K | +0% | 240 |
| Iowa | $46K | +0% | 340 |
| North Dakota | $46K | +0% | 60 |
| South Carolina | $46K | -0% | 550 |
| New York | $46K | -0% | 1,150 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -1% | 880 |
| Minnesota | $46K | -1% | 900 |
| Virginia | $45K | -2% | 720 |
| Pennsylvania | $45K | -2% | 1,690 |
| Michigan | $45K | -2% | 1,470 |
| Florida | $45K | -2% | 2,410 |
| Nevada | $45K | -2% | 430 |
| Ohio | $45K | -3% | 1,560 |
| Utah | $43K | -6% | 710 |
| West Virginia | $43K | -6% | 260 |
| Idaho | $43K | -8% | 210 |
| Kentucky | $42K | -10% | 370 |
| Texas | $40K | -13% | 2,550 |
| North Carolina | $38K | -17% | 550 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -19% | 210 |
| Wyoming | $38K | -19% | 80 |
| Alabama | $37K | -20% | 820 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -23% | 190 |
Showing 1–10 of 48 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $38K, rent takes 58.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $800/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,735/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 91% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay runs 19% below the national median — $38K here vs. $46K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $38K median vs. the U.S. average of $46K — that’s -19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $38K — below the national median.
How much do molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $37,510 a year, that works out to about $18 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $28,910, and experienced molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics can clear $53,020. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $38K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,681/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 58.7% 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 molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (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 molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic salary is worth about $38,031 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastics 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.