Employers
Approximately 77,600 molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, tenders, and operators are employed in the plastics products manufacturing industry. Major plastics employers in the United States include DuPont, General Motors, and Owens Corning. Some of the top thermoforming companies are in Illinois, such as Tenneco and Solo Cup Company. Michigan has some of the top injection molding companies, including Lear Corporation. But large plastics companies are located all across the country.
Starting Out
After receiving your high school diploma, you should apply directly to the personnel departments of plastics plants in the area in which you wish to work. Online ads on job postings sites such as Indeed.com and CareerBuilder.com will list openings in the industry.
- 3-D Printing Specialists
- Advanced Manufacturing Engineers
- Advanced Manufacturing Technicians
- Advertising Managers
- Apparel Industry Workers
- Appliance Service Technicians
- Automation Engineers
- Automotive Industry Workers
- Beverage Industry Workers
- Bindery Workers
- Bioenergy/Biofuels Workers
- Biofuels Processing Technicians
- Biofuels Production Managers
- Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers
- Biomass Plant Technicians
- Biomass Power Plant Managers
- Biotechnology Production Workers
- Boilermakers and Mechanics
- Business Managers
- Buyers
- Canning and Preserving Industry Workers
- Ceramics Engineers
- Chemical Engineers
- Chemical Technicians
- Chemists
- Chief Robotics Officer
- Computer-Aided Design Drafters and Technicians
- Continuous Improvement Managers
- Coremakers
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Cost Estimators
- Customer Service Representatives
- Dairy Products Manufacturing Workers
- Drafters
- Drone Manufacturing Workers
- Electrical Engineering Technologists
- Electrical Engineers
- Electronics Engineering Technicians
- Electronics Engineers
- Electroplating Workers
- Engineering Technicians
- Engineers
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Export-Import Specialists
- Farmers
- Fashion Designers
- Forge Shop Workers
- Furniture Designers
- Furniture Manufacturing Workers
- Futurists
- Glass Manufacturing Workers
- Green Marketers
- Green Products Manufacturers
- Greeting Card Designers and Writers
- Hardware Engineers
- Heat Treaters
- Industrial Chemicals Workers
- Industrial Designers
- Industrial Ecologists
- Industrial Engineering Technicians
- Industrial Engineers
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics
- Industrial Radiographers
- Industrial Safety and Health Technicians
- Industrial Traffic Managers
- Instrumentation Technicians
- Internet of Things Developers
- Jewelers and Jewelry Repairers
- Job and Die Setters
- Laboratory Testing Technicians
- Laser Technicians
- Layout Workers
- Leather Tanning and Finishing Workers
- Logging Industry Workers
- Logistics Analysts
- Logistics Engineers
- Manufacturing Engineering Technologists
- Manufacturing Engineers
- Manufacturing Production Technicians
- Manufacturing Supervisors
- Market Research Analysts
- Marketing Managers
- Materials Engineers
- Mechanical Engineering Technicians
- Mechanical Engineers
- Metallurgical Engineers
- Metallurgical Technicians
- Microelectronics Technicians
- Millwrights
- Molders
- Non-Destructive Testing Specialists
- Numerical Control Tool Programmers
- Occupational Safety and Health Workers
- Optical Engineers
- Optics Technicians
- Packaging Engineers
- Packaging Machinery Technicians
- Paper Processing Workers
- Pharmaceutical Industry Workers
- Plastics Engineers
- Plastics Technicians
- Precision Machinists
- Precision Metalworkers
- Prepress Workers
- Product Designers
- Product Development Directors
- Product Management Directors
- Product Managers
- Purchasing Agents
- Quality Control Engineers
- Quality Control Technicians
- Radio Frequency Engineers
- Remote Health Care Engineers
- Robotics Engineers
- Robotics Integrators
- Robotics Technicians
- Rubber Goods Production Workers
- Sales Managers
- Sales Representatives
- Semiconductor Technicians
- Sheet Metal Workers
- Silverware Artisans and Workers
- Software Engineers
- Sporting Goods Production Workers
- Steel Industry Workers
- Supply Chain Managers
- Tailors and Dressmakers
- Textile Manufacturing Workers
- Tobacco Products Industry Workers
- Toy Industry Workers
- Traffic Managers
- Truck Dispatchers
- Watch and Clock Repairers
- Welders and Welding Technicians
- Wind Energy Operations Managers
- Wood Science and Technology Workers