SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-4041.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $39,200 | $3,267 | $754 | $18.85 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $47,570 | $3,964 | $915 | $22.87 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $58,750 | $4,896 | $1,130 | $28.24 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $67,700 | $5,642 | $1,302 | $32.55 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $80,010 | $6,668 | $1,539 | $38.47 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Machinists is $58,750, which is 15% higher. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 18 by median pay. With 287,050 jobs, it makes up about 18 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Machinists pay by state
The highest median pay was in Hawaii ($84,410), Alaska ($77,670) and District of Columbia ($72,900). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($29,280), West Virginia ($47,350) and Tennessee ($49,600). The most jobs were in Texas (21,700), Michigan (20,350) and California (18,950). The occupation is most concentrated in Michigan, where its share of all jobs is 2.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 260 | $84,410 | $81,610 | $40.58 |
| Alaska | 120 | $77,670 | $81,160 | $37.34 |
| District of Columbia | 160 | $72,900 | $73,260 | $35.05 |
| Massachusetts | 7,080 | $67,270 | $69,390 | $32.34 |
| Washington | 6,880 | $66,160 | $71,510 | $31.81 |
| Oregon | 2,760 | $63,820 | $65,590 | $30.68 |
| New Jersey | 3,210 | $63,190 | $66,720 | $30.38 |
| Wyoming | 290 | $63,070 | $64,880 | $30.32 |
| Vermont | 220 | $62,680 | $62,800 | $30.14 |
| Delaware | 310 | $62,650 | $65,400 | $30.12 |
| Connecticut | 5,240 | $62,130 | $64,030 | $29.87 |
| North Dakota | 560 | $61,820 | $63,830 | $29.72 |
| New Hampshire | 1,620 | $61,500 | $62,150 | $29.57 |
| Virginia | 5,660 | $61,290 | $62,770 | $29.47 |
| Utah | 3,810 | $61,280 | $61,800 | $29.46 |
| Minnesota | 12,500 | $61,140 | $62,310 | $29.39 |
| Louisiana | 4,640 | $61,110 | $62,830 | $29.38 |
| Arizona | 4,330 | $61,080 | $59,750 | $29.37 |
| Montana | 630 | $60,920 | $61,530 | $29.29 |
| New York | 9,400 | $60,920 | $61,910 | $29.29 |
| Colorado | 2,800 | $60,200 | $62,650 | $28.94 |
| Maryland | 1,380 | $59,810 | $61,420 | $28.76 |
| New Mexico | 690 | $59,440 | $60,960 | $28.58 |
| Texas | 21,700 | $59,180 | $60,270 | $28.45 |
| Maine | 1,780 | $59,160 | $60,910 | $28.44 |
| Wisconsin | 12,700 | $59,110 | $57,860 | $28.42 |
| Idaho | 1,070 | $58,810 | $59,480 | $28.28 |
| Missouri | 8,380 | $58,710 | $61,340 | $28.23 |
| Kentucky | 6,040 | $58,660 | $59,560 | $28.20 |
| Illinois | 16,520 | $58,520 | $58,920 | $28.13 |
| South Carolina | 3,790 | $57,970 | $57,030 | $27.87 |
| Ohio | 17,110 | $57,940 | $56,670 | $27.86 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,380 | $57,810 | $57,080 | $27.79 |
| Indiana | 14,320 | $57,800 | $56,590 | $27.79 |
| Rhode Island | 860 | $57,760 | $60,230 | $27.77 |
| Iowa | 2,880 | $57,540 | $56,960 | $27.66 |
| California | 18,950 | $57,190 | $61,380 | $27.49 |
| Florida | 8,400 | $57,140 | $57,590 | $27.47 |
| Nebraska | 1,810 | $55,860 | $59,090 | $26.86 |
| Alabama | 5,170 | $55,560 | $57,860 | $26.71 |
| Mississippi | 1,920 | $55,550 | $55,600 | $26.71 |
| North Carolina | 8,330 | $55,230 | $54,880 | $26.56 |
| Nevada | 900 | $53,050 | $56,270 | $25.51 |
| Georgia | 6,090 | $52,610 | $55,690 | $25.29 |
| Michigan | 20,350 | $52,360 | $55,240 | $25.17 |
| Kansas | 3,870 | $51,220 | $54,780 | $24.63 |
| Arkansas | 2,150 | $51,140 | $55,180 | $24.59 |
| Oklahoma | 4,230 | $51,120 | $53,450 | $24.58 |
| South Dakota | 830 | $50,890 | $51,860 | $24.47 |
| Tennessee | 8,270 | $49,600 | $53,180 | $23.85 |
| West Virginia | 1,700 | $47,350 | $51,190 | $22.77 |
| Puerto Rico | 1,250 | $29,280 | $32,910 | $14.08 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters$62,620 a year
- Plant and System Operators, All Other$62,470 a year
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators$60,020 a year
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders$58,040 a year
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic$58,000 a year
- Tire Builders$57,390 a year
Common questions
How much do Machinists earn in the United States?
The median pay was $58,750 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $39,200 and the highest-paid 10% more than $80,010.
How many people work as Machinists?
About 287,050 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.