Tool and Die Makers Salary
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, tool and die makers earn $53,330 at the median, or about $25.64 an hour. The range runs from $36K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $54,071 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 42.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $53K 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 tool and die makers
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 tool and die makers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands runs about 17% below the U.S. median of $64K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,573/month, which is 42% 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 tool and die makerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tool and die makers in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $60K | $58K |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $66K | $70K |
| El Paso | $46K | $51K |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $38K | $42K |
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 tool and die makers (10th percentile) start around $36K. Mid-career wages sit at $53K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $38K spread from bottom to top.
Tool and Die Makers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tool and Die Makers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $109K | +71% | 1,510 |
| Kansas | $84K | +31% | 660 |
| Maine | $80K | +25% | 80 |
| Connecticut | $78K | +21% | 1,880 |
| California | $77K | +20% | 1,790 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +16% | 540 |
| Oregon | $74K | +15% | 300 |
| North Dakota | $73K | +14% | 70 |
| Minnesota | $71K | +11% | 1,150 |
| New Hampshire | $70K | +9% | 250 |
| Vermont | $69K | +8% | 140 |
| Nebraska | $69K | +8% | 360 |
| Wisconsin | $68K | +6% | 2,450 |
| New York | $68K | +6% | 1,270 |
| Indiana | $68K | +6% | 4,090 |
| Massachusetts | $67K | +5% | 850 |
| Kentucky | $67K | +4% | 1,900 |
| Oklahoma | $66K | +3% | 330 |
| Michigan | $66K | +2% | 9,420 |
| South Carolina | $65K | +2% | 870 |
| Iowa | $65K | +1% | 760 |
| Alabama | $65K | +1% | 690 |
| Virginia | $64K | +0% | 390 |
| Florida | $64K | -0% | 440 |
| Colorado | $64K | -0% | 160 |
| Rhode Island | $63K | -1% | 260 |
| Ohio | $62K | -3% | 5,520 |
| Nevada | $61K | -4% | 220 |
| Illinois | $61K | -4% | 5,220 |
| Pennsylvania | $61K | -5% | 3,380 |
| North Carolina | $61K | -5% | 1,580 |
| Missouri | $61K | -5% | 1,280 |
| Tennessee | $61K | -5% | 2,930 |
| Georgia | $60K | -6% | 850 |
| South Dakota | $60K | -7% | 60 |
| Arizona | $59K | -8% | 310 |
| Maryland | $58K | -9% | 70 |
| Mississippi | $58K | -9% | 300 |
| Idaho | $58K | -10% | 50 |
| Arkansas | $57K | -11% | 290 |
| Utah | $57K | -11% | 270 |
| Texas | $55K | -13% | 1,710 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -25% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -27% | 170 |
| West Virginia | $46K | -28% | 40 |
Showing 1–10 of 45 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tool and die makers 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 tool and die maker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $53K, rent takes 42% 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 $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tool and die makers in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tool and die makers typically earn — is $36K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,188/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 72% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tool and die maker a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay runs 17% below the national median — $53K here vs. $64K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for tool and die makers?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $53K median vs. the U.S. average of $64K — that’s -17%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $54K — below the national median.
How much do tool and die makers make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $53,330 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,460, and experienced tool and die makers can clear $74,630. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $53K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,741/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 42% 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 tool and die makers 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 tool and die makers salary is worth about $54,071 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tool and die makers 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.