How much does a machinist make?
a year · about $28 an hour
A typical machinist in the United States makes $58,750 a year, about $28 an hour, about the same as a typical US worker (median, May 2025, US Bureau of Labor Statistics).
What do they do?
They read a blueprint or computer design, set up a lathe or CNC machine, and cut metal into a precise part. Then they measure and inspect it to check that it matches the plan.
Did you know? Some U.S. machinists must make parts accurate to within 0.0001 inch—one ten-thousandth of an inch!
Is that a lot?
Compared with jobs you knowIf 100 people had this job
Most earn between $39,200 and $80,010How do you become one?
In the United States, earn a high-school diploma or equivalent; math, blueprint reading, metalworking, and CAD/CAM classes help. Then learn on the job, in a technical school, or through an apprenticeship, often starting as a machine operator; certificates are optional.
School needed: Vocational school or a few years' experience
Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized
Why does pay differ?
In the United States, machinists with more experience and stronger skills may earn more, and optional certificates can help them advance. Pay also varies by industry, employer, and location; overtime or night and weekend shifts can change total take-home pay.
Where does it pay most?
Highest in Massachusetts ($67,270), lowest in West Virginia ($47,350).
See every state
Top 5 and bottom 3 states, typical (median) yearly pay.
Jobs like this
In Japan, a metal machine worker averages $32,258. Machinist salary in Japan
Data table and sources
| Lower earner (10th from bottom) | Typical person (median) | Higher earner (10th from top) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|---|
| $39,200 | $58,750 | $80,010 | about 287,000 |
| State | Typical person (median) | People in this job |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | $67,270 | about 7,000 |
| Washington | $66,160 | about 7,000 |
| Oregon | $63,820 | about 3,000 |
| New Jersey | $63,190 | about 3,000 |
| Connecticut | $62,130 | about 5,000 |
Official definition: Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures. Machinists who primarily program or operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment are classified in “Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators and Programmers” (51-9160).
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (bls.gov); descriptions and related jobs from O*NET 31.0. Figures as of May 2025, full-time yearly pay (hourly × 2,080 hours). bls.gov/oes · O*NET OnLine
Pages used for the text
- www.bls.gov/ooh/production/machinists-and-tool-and-die-makers.htm
- www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-4041.00
- www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2015/article/print/wage-differences.htm
Data: US BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 1 USD = 150 JPY