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Operate computer-controlled machines or robots to perform one or more machine functions on metal or plastic work pieces.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 146,190 | 1.6 % | $19.03 | $39,590 | 0.5 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $12.10 | $14.65 | $18.21 | $22.87 | $27.76 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $25,180 | $30,480 | $37,880 | $47,570 | $57,750 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 29,160 | 8.18 | $18.65 | $38,790 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 12,780 | 2.20 | $17.40 | $36,190 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 11,140 | 6.14 | $20.78 | $43,220 |
| Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 10,320 | 3.81 | $18.85 | $39,210 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 10,200 | 2.08 | $23.08 | $48,010 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 29,160 | 8.18 | $18.65 | $38,790 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 11,140 | 6.14 | $20.78 | $43,220 |
| Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing | 1,470 | 3.98 | $19.35 | $40,240 |
| Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 10,320 | 3.81 | $18.85 | $39,210 |
| Forging and Stamping | 3,540 | 3.66 | $17.65 | $36,710 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 40 | 0.01 | $26.43 | $54,970 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 10,200 | 2.08 | $23.08 | $48,010 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 350 | 0.02 | $22.37 | $46,540 |
| Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 140 | 0.02 | $21.96 | $45,680 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | 50 | 0.02 | $21.42 | $44,540 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 13,490 | 2.53 | 2.43 | $19.06 | $39,650 |
| California | 11,430 | 0.72 | 0.69 | $18.87 | $39,260 |
| Texas | 11,150 | 0.95 | 0.91 | $19.57 | $40,700 |
| Pennsylvania | 11,030 | 1.92 | 1.84 | $18.10 | $37,640 |
| Wisconsin | 10,560 | 3.76 | 3.62 | $20.28 | $42,170 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 1,150 | 3.78 | 3.63 | $24.57 | $51,110 |
| Wisconsin | 10,560 | 3.76 | 3.62 | $20.28 | $42,170 |
| New Hampshire | 1,960 | 3.04 | 2.92 | $17.75 | $36,920 |
| Ohio | 13,490 | 2.53 | 2.43 | $19.06 | $39,650 |
| Indiana | 7,320 | 2.45 | 2.35 | $17.14 | $35,650 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1,660 | 0.54 | 0.52 | $29.22 | $60,780 |
| Vermont | 1,150 | 3.78 | 3.63 | $24.57 | $51,110 |
| North Dakota | 200 | 0.48 | 0.46 | $23.09 | $48,030 |
| Massachusetts | 2,750 | 0.80 | 0.76 | $22.64 | $47,090 |
| Connecticut | 2,290 | 1.38 | 1.32 | $22.31 | $46,410 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 4,150 | 1.41 | 1.36 | $20.25 | $42,120 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 4,140 | 4.92 | 4.73 | $21.43 | $44,580 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH | 4,120 | 4.01 | 3.85 | $19.25 | $40,040 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 3,940 | 0.93 | 0.90 | $18.04 | $37,530 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 3,360 | 1.76 | 1.69 | $21.72 | $45,180 |
| Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division | 2,550 | 2.11 | 2.03 | $21.32 | $44,360 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | 2,190 | 3.97 | 3.81 | $18.25 | $37,970 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division | 2,130 | 1.36 | 1.31 | $17.55 | $36,510 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 2,080 | 1.84 | 1.76 | $18.91 | $39,340 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 2,050 | 1.97 | 1.89 | $20.77 | $43,210 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, IN | 970 | 19.72 | 18.93 | $16.02 | $33,330 |
| Dubuque, IA | 400 | 6.88 | 6.60 | $17.35 | $36,090 |
| Racine, WI | 450 | 6.10 | 5.86 | $16.17 | $33,630 |
| Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL | 230 | 5.53 | 5.31 | $22.09 | $45,940 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 700 | 5.50 | 5.28 | $16.32 | $33,940 |
| Erie, PA | 680 | 5.38 | 5.16 | $16.12 | $33,540 |
| Muskegon, MI | 310 | 5.08 | 4.88 | $16.43 | $34,170 |
| Mansfield, OH | 250 | 4.93 | 4.73 | $15.26 | $31,730 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | 4,140 | 4.92 | 4.73 | $21.43 | $44,580 |
| Niles-Benton Harbor, MI | 290 | 4.79 | 4.60 | $17.56 | $36,520 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 1,060 | 0.67 | 0.64 | $30.11 | $62,630 |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 90 | 0.16 | 0.15 | $27.08 | $56,330 |
| Greeley, CO | (8) | (8) | (8) | $26.23 | $54,570 |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT | (8) | (8) | (8) | $26.01 | $54,100 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 50 | 0.22 | 0.21 | $25.75 | $53,560 |
| Longview, TX | 190 | 2.02 | 1.94 | $25.49 | $53,030 |
| Ithaca, NY | 80 | 1.59 | 1.52 | $24.16 | $50,250 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 720 | 0.40 | 0.38 | $24.12 | $50,170 |
| Framingham, MA NECTA Division | 160 | 0.90 | 0.87 | $23.17 | $48,200 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 70 | 0.31 | 0.30 | $22.96 | $47,770 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 1,890 | 8.75 | 8.41 | $16.83 | $35,000 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 1,820 | 7.18 | 6.90 | $19.35 | $40,240 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 1,460 | 7.01 | 6.73 | $18.04 | $37,530 |
| North Northeastern Ohio non-metropolitan area (non-contiguous) | 1,140 | 3.45 | 3.31 | $17.87 | $37,160 |
| Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 980 | 6.34 | 6.09 | $18.61 | $38,710 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 1,890 | 8.75 | 8.41 | $16.83 | $35,000 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | 590 | 8.07 | 7.75 | $11.61 | $24,140 |
| West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | 1,820 | 7.18 | 6.90 | $19.35 | $40,240 |
| South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | 1,460 | 7.01 | 6.73 | $18.04 | $37,530 |
| Western Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | 980 | 6.34 | 6.09 | $18.61 | $38,710 |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area | 470 | 2.45 | 2.36 | $24.04 | $50,000 |
| Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area | (8) | (8) | (8) | $23.96 | $49,840 |
| South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | 180 | 1.65 | 1.59 | $21.00 | $43,680 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 220 | 1.27 | 1.22 | $20.85 | $43,370 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | 160 | 1.16 | 1.11 | $20.84 | $43,340 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017