Machinists
Machinists is a dynamic career path with diverse opportunities. The field has seen strong growth, with employment increasing by 5.3% over recent years. Professionals in this field are primarily employed in industries such as Cross-industry and Cross-industry, Private Ownership only.
Key Statistics
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Machinists workforce.
Employment Over Time
21,580 Workforce in 2023
The Machinists workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Machinists.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$61,610 Average Wage
In 2023, Machinists earned an average of $61,610.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Machinists.
Salary distribution for Machinists.
Employment Growth Projections
-3.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
72,415 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -14.3%
62,045 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -26.6%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Machinists.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Machinists and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Machinists employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Machinists.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Machinists.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Machinists.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 20,290 employees, $61,233 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Machinists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 5,630 employees, $57,153 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 3,190 employees, $55,702 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 2,430 employees, $66,104 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 1,960 employees, $55,351 avg wage
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 1,830 employees, $72,341 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 1,560 employees, $71,992 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 610 employees, $61,097 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 590 employees, $56,706 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 390 employees, $87,516 avg wage
- Fresno MSA: 370 employees, $53,443 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Machinists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Machinists in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Machinists in 2023 was 21,580 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Machinists.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Machinists.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Machinists.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Machinists in 2023 were Engineering, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Machinists.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Machinists workers.
Education level distribution for Machinists.
Skills
Machinists need many skills, but most especially Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Active Listening.
Required skills for Machinists.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Machinists.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Machinists include Mathematics, Mechanical, Production and Processing, Design, Engineering and Technology.
Knowledge areas required for Machinists.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Machinists include Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Finger Dexterity, Control Precision, Near Vision.
Required abilities for Machinists.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Machinists.
Daily Activities
Machinists spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Machinists.
About
Machinists
The average yearly wage for Machinists was $61,610 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-4041 - Machinists
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Machinists reports an average salary of $61,610.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 21,580 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -3.0%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.