Pottery and porcelain caster
Also known as: pottery caster, porcelain caster, pottery and porcelain molder, caster of pottery and porcelain, caster of pottery and porcelain ware, pottery and porcelain ware caster
About this occupation
Pottery and porcelain casters fill moulds with clay to cast pottery and porcelain wares. They pour excess slip out of the mould when needed, drain moulds, remove the cast from the mould, smooth the casting surfaces to remove marks and place the castings on boards to dry.
Essential skills and knowledge
- troubleshoot
- conform with clay thickness
- tend pug mills
- materials in porcelain manufacturing
- inspect quality of products
- set up the controller of a machine
- extract products from moulds
- monitor automated machines
- use personal protection equipment
- tend jigger machines
- types of pottery material
- materials used in stoneware manufacturing
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic (O*NET 51-9195.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Read work orders or examine parts to determine parts or sections of products to be produced.
- Trim or remove excess material, using scrapers, knives, or band saws.
- Brush or spray mold surfaces with parting agents or insert paper into molds to ensure smoothness and prevent sticking or seepage.
- Engrave or stamp identifying symbols, letters, or numbers on products.
- Assemble, insert, and adjust wires, tubes, cores, fittings, rods, or patterns into molds, using hand tools and depth gauges.
- Clean, finish, and lubricate molds and mold parts.
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operation and Control, Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Operations Monitoring, Speaking, Monitoring
US median pay: US$46,170 a year (2025), 33,190 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
- Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
- Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Glass Blowers, Molders, Benders, and Finishers
- Potters, Manufacturing
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.