How much does a Machinist make?

The average salary for a Machinist is $55,195 per year in United States. Salaries estimates are based on 4077 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by a Machinist employees in United States.

The highest salary for a Machinist in United States is $65,836 per year.

The lowest salary for a Machinist in United States is $46,443 per year.

If you are thinking of becoming a Machinist or planning the next step in your career, find details about the role, the career path and salary trajectory of a Machinist.

Machinists are paid salaries similar to that of other skilled workers including millwrights, welders, cutters, plumbers, tool makers, and medical equipment repairers. Machinists who work in the manufacturing or construction sectors generally earn higher pay than those who work for in commercial and industrial machinery and equipment repair and maintenance roles. Machinist pay generally raises with seniority and experience.

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It's common for machinists to work in settings that offer overtime, profit sharing, and performance bonuses that can total $2,871.86 per year. This is in addition to the machinist salary that 66% of anonymous employees find satisfactory.

The machinist career path has a wide range of pay that depends on the complexity of the parts being constructed. Your experience and membership status in a union also make a difference in pay. The lowest paid machinists earn around $39,788.43 per year, while the highest paid bring in $77,069.00. Earnings for the average machinist lies in between, at around $55,195.17.

The most straight-forward way for a machinist to increase pay is to switch to a night shift and take advantage of overtime opportunities. You may also find that your pay increases if you become a member of a local union. Your value to the company can also increase by learning to work new types of equipment and by proving you are able to handle difficult and expensive orders. Finally, your company may reward you for learning new skills, such as programming computer numerical controls, reading mechanical drawings, and using computer CAD/CAM programs.

As the industry continues to invest in automated equipment, the machinists who build these machines are in high demand. So now is a great time to make sure you're making a fair machinist salary. Do a search for machinist jobs in your area to see what other companies are paying for your skills. Read the job descriptions to see how your resume stacks up against the job requirements for new machinists. Be ready to show recent stellar work samples that demonstrate the high precision of your work. Draw attention to your willingness to learn new equipment and your ability to handle complex and expensive orders.