Machinists Salary: $56,150 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 298,790 machinists work nationally, and $56,150 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown rose about 5% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.0% annual decline.
Machinists: what the data shows
Common questions about machinists careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a machinists?
Machinists is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-4041.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 298,790 workers.
What does a machinists do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Getting Information, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a machinists make?
BLS national median annual wage: $56,150 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $61,610 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,315 |
| 25th percentile | $45,933 |
| Median (50th) | $57,680 |
| 75th percentile | $74,496 |
| 90th percentile | $88,295 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including Mathematics, Mechanical, Production and Processing, Design. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is machinists in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.0% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -14.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -26.6%.
Current U.S. headcount: 298,790.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do machinistss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 298,790 | 18.8% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 293,930 | 18.5% |
| Manufacturing | 249,790 | 15.7% |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 101,480 | 6.4% |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 73,870 | 4.7% |
| Machine Shops | 63,310 | 4.0% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Machinists in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Tool and Die Makers | 55,130 | $63,180 |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 424,040 | $51,000 |
| Sheet Metal Workers | 117,470 | $60,850 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Machinists workforce.
Employment Over Time
298,790 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Machinists shrank from 138,600 in 2009 to 84,520 in 2025 (39.0%).
Historical employment for Machinists from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$56,150 Median pay (BLS national)
Machinists earn $56,150 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- MI: 23,090 employees, $54,020 avg wage
- CA: 21,580 employees, $60,050 avg wage
- TX: 20,770 employees, $58,010 avg wage
- IN: 16,510 employees, $52,730 avg wage
- IL: 16,100 employees, $57,870 avg wage
- PA: 15,060 employees, $54,810 avg wage
- MN: 14,910 employees, $59,030 avg wage
- OH: 14,110 employees, $56,240 avg wage
- WI: 12,530 employees, $54,280 avg wage
- NY: 8,870 employees, $61,380 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Machinists.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 11,340 employees, $60,010 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 10,500 employees, $59,080 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 9,560 employees, $56,850 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 8,820 employees, $55,190 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 7,550 employees, $59,590 avg wage
- St. Louis, MO-IL: 5,640 employees, $64,840 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 5,210 employees, $66,980 avg wage
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN: 4,730 employees, $52,860 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 4,460 employees, $65,900 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 4,390 employees, $58,370 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Machinists.
Diversity
Demographic information on Machinists in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Machinists is about 298,790 people in our OEWS extract.
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
Machinists earn $56,150 as the BLS national median annual wage.
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 298,790 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.