Tool and Die Maker
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
Manufactures dies, moulds, jigs and fixtures to fine tolerances. Technically demanding and among the best-paid trades.
- Route in
- Earliest entry: ITI. Direct entry. 2 courses lead here
- Entry pay
- ₹14,000 – ₹26,000 / monthly Any experience
- Where you work
- Tool rooms (Government Tool Rooms, CTTC), Plastic moulding units, Auto component manufacturers
What this role is
Understand the role
Manufactures dies, moulds, jigs and fixtures to fine tolerances. Technically demanding and among the best-paid trades.
How people get in
Getting in
Earliest entry point. ITI level.
Where people work
Outlook
Tool rooms (Government Tool Rooms, CTTC), Plastic moulding units, Auto component manufacturers.
Indicative starting salary
Understand the role
14,000 - 26,000 per month at entry level.
This is an indicative range, not a quote. Actual pay varies with employer, city, sector and the specific role.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
Class 10 Required
Entry for the ITI trade. Tool and Die Maker is one of the most demanding ITI trades and admission is competitive.
ITI Tool and Die Maker Required
Two years - dies and moulds, or press tools, jigs and fixtures. This is the longest and most precise of the ITI machining trades and it is the reason toolmakers are paid better than machinists.
Apprenticeship in a tool room Required
One to two years. The government tool rooms and MSME technology centres - IGTR, CITD, CTTC and the rest - run the best training in the country for this trade. Apply to them directly.
Work on tools end to end Required
Grinding, EDM, wire cut, jig boring, assembly and try-out. A tool is not finished until it produces a good part, and try-out is where the skill really shows.
Learn tool design and CAD Required
Die and mould design, flow and strength considerations, and the CAD to draw it. This is the move from making tools to deciding how they should be made.
Tool room in-charge, or your own tool room Optional
Supervising the tool room, or setting up a small precision job shop. Toolmakers are one of the few trades where independent workshops still compete on skill rather than price.
Courses that lead here
2 mapped routes into this career.
What it pays
Indicative bands.
| Stage | Pay band | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Any experience | ₹14,000 – ₹26,000 / monthly | Varies by employer |
These are ranges, not offers. Pay varies by city, employer size, sector and your own skill more than by job title. Treat the band as the shape of the market, not as a number you can hold anyone to.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
What qualification do you need to become a Tool and Die Maker?
The earliest entry point is iti level.
Where does a Tool and Die Maker usually work?
Tool rooms (Government Tool Rooms, CTTC), Plastic moulding units, Auto component manufacturers.
What does a Tool and Die Maker earn to start?
14,000 - 26,000 per month is a typical entry-level range. Pay varies with employer, city and sector.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.