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Metal Casting, Forging and Finishing Trades Workers

Metal Casting, Forging and Finishing Trades Workers fabricate mould patterns and form sand moulds and cores for the production of metal castings, heat and hammer metal into shape, and make, repair, coat and polish metal parts and articles.

Trades & constructionANZSCO 3221
2,876People employed
+5% ▲Growth to 2035
78%Work full time
39Median age
Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3221.More about our sources: How we check our facts

What they do

The main tasks of this occupation, from the national occupation standard.

selecting metal stock for job requirementsheating metal in forges and furnaces and hammering, punching and cutting metal using hand tools and machine pressestempering and hardening finished articles by quenching in oil or water baths or by cooling gradually in airpreparing electrolytic and silver solutions for electroforming, and applying solution to the objects to be coatedsetting and adjusting controls to regulate electric current and depositing of coating on objectspreparing horses' hooves for shoeing, nailing horseshoes to hooves, and trimming hooves
Source: JSA occupation profileTask list from the Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profile for ANZSCO 3221 (ANZSCO task statements).More about our sources: How we check our facts

The outlook

Room for 100 more people in metal casting, forging and finishing trades workers by 2035 ▲

The field shrank 1.3% in the year to February 2026. Most of the jobs are in VIC and QLD, with SA third.

Source: JSA · ABS, 2025-26ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3221.More about our sources: How we check our facts
2.3k2025
2.3k2030 PROJ.
2.4k2035 PROJ.

Getting in

Most metal casting, forging and finishing trades workers came through a certificate or diploma. 50% did.

A university degree is rare here: 5% hold one. The trade qualification is the standard way in. These are the nationally recognised courses mapped to this occupation, with the number of registered training providers that offer each one.

Source: JSA · training.gov.auEducation split: JSA (Jobs and Skills Australia) occupation profile, using ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Census data, ANZSCO 3221. Qualification mapping and provider counts: training.gov.au, the national register of vocational education, October 2026. Listed providers are current registered training providers (private providers and TAFE institutes).More about our sources: How we check our facts

Nationally recognised training · most offered first

ACM40818Certificate IV

Certificate IV in Farriery

Animal Care and Management Training Package.

See 4 providers
MEM31719Certificate III

Certificate III in Engineering - Casting and Moulding Trade

Manufacturing and Engineering.

See 2 providers
ACM30921Certificate III

Certificate III in Equine Hoof Care

Animal Care and Management Training Package.

See 0 providers

Providers are shown in A-Z order on each course page. A listing is not a recommendation.

Jobs open right now

2,876 Australians do this work. See who is hiring this month.

Search job ads by state

Each link opens seek.com.au in a new tab, showing ads posted in the last month. SEEK is a job site; we link there because that is where most Australian jobs are advertised. We have no commercial relationship with SEEK.

Source: ABS · JSA, 2025-26State chart shows people employed, not current job ads. ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics) Labour Force via Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA), February 2026; ABS Employee Earnings and Hours May 2025; JSA Employment Projections, May 2025 base. ANZSCO 3221.More about our sources: How we check our facts

People employed by state, 2025-26

VIC1.2k
QLD1k
SA0.4k
NSW0.2k
ACT0.1k
NT0.1k
TAS0.1k
WA0.1k