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Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics

Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021

51-4041 Machinists

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).


National estimates for Machinists
Industry profile for Machinists
Geographic profile for Machinists

National estimates for Machinists:

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Machinists:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
333,220 0.9 % $ 23.57 $ 49,020 0.3 %

Percentile wage estimates for Machinists:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $ 14.53 $ 18.16 $ 22.95 $ 28.87 $ 32.81
Annual Wage (2) $ 30,220 $ 37,770 $ 47,730 $ 60,040 $ 68,250


Industry profile for Machinists:

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Machinists are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in Machinists, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in Machinists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing 79,360 24.42 $ 22.67 $ 47,150
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) 33,300 4.75 $ 22.98 $ 47,800
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 23,370 14.60 $ 22.96 $ 47,760
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) 23,090 5.17 $ 21.92 $ 45,590
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 19,030 4.05 $ 27.29 $ 56,770

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Machinists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing 79,360 24.42 $ 22.67 $ 47,150
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 23,370 14.60 $ 22.96 $ 47,760
Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing 7,360 8.30 $ 23.60 $ 49,100
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) 23,090 5.17 $ 21.92 $ 45,590
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing 950 4.79 $ 22.75 $ 47,320

Top paying industries for Machinists:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 460 0.12 $ 45.78 $ 95,220
Scheduled Air Transportation 60 0.02 $ 45.68 $ 95,010
Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals (OEWS Designation) 860 0.02 $ 43.74 $ 90,990
Rail Transportation 4,730 2.15 $ 37.33 $ 77,650
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing 1,650 1.60 $ 36.97 $ 76,910


Geographic profile for Machinists:

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Machinists are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in Machinists, see the Create Customized Tables function.



Map of employment of machinists by state, May 2021


States with the highest employment level in Machinists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Ohio 30,260 5.82 2.46 $ 21.42 $ 44,560
California 29,810 1.80 0.76 $ 25.02 $ 52,040
Michigan 22,100 5.44 2.30 $ 22.36 $ 46,510
Texas 21,610 1.77 0.75 $ 23.95 $ 49,810
Illinois 20,510 3.65 1.54 $ 23.64 $ 49,160


Map of location quotient of machinists by state, May 2021


States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Machinists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Indiana 19,240 6.45 2.73 $ 23.66 $ 49,220
Ohio 30,260 5.82 2.46 $ 21.42 $ 44,560
Connecticut 8,620 5.48 2.32 $ 26.80 $ 55,750
Michigan 22,100 5.44 2.30 $ 22.36 $ 46,510
South Carolina 10,510 5.08 2.15 $ 19.46 $ 40,480


Map of annual mean wages of machinists by state, May 2021


Top paying states for Machinists:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 320 0.49 0.21 $ 41.15 $ 85,600
Alaska 140 0.48 0.20 $ 34.10 $ 70,920
Hawaii 250 0.46 0.19 $ 34.02 $ 70,760
Washington 6,850 2.14 0.90 $ 28.89 $ 60,080
Maryland 1,780 0.70 0.30 $ 28.76 $ 59,810



Map of employment of machinists by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Machinists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI 13,990 3.31 1.40 $ 24.63 $ 51,220
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 12,140 2.12 0.90 $ 23.76 $ 49,420
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 8,470 4.70 1.99 $ 23.56 $ 49,000
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 7,400 2.56 1.08 $ 24.26 $ 50,460
Cleveland-Elyria, OH 7,190 7.46 3.15 $ 21.47 $ 44,650
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 7,020 3.85 1.63 $ 26.07 $ 54,230
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA 5,620 0.65 0.27 $ 27.14 $ 56,450
Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH 5,110 1.98 0.84 $ 27.52 $ 57,230
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5,040 1.40 0.59 $ 23.43 $ 48,730
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 4,810 4.70 1.99 $ 23.13 $ 48,120


Map of location quotient of machinists by area, May 2021


Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Machinists:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Rockford, IL 2,860 21.64 9.15 $ 22.29 $ 46,360
Columbus, IN 800 16.51 6.98 $ 20.48 $ 42,610
Jackson, MI 750 13.77 5.82 $ 21.30 $ 44,300
Staunton-Waynesboro, VA 590 12.73 5.38 (8) (8)
Elmira, NY 380 11.64 4.92 $ 22.95 $ 47,730
Niles-Benton Harbor, MI 640 11.50 4.86 $ 20.37 $ 42,360
Monroe, MI 400 11.10 4.69 $ 32.00 $ 66,560
Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin, SC 4,340 11.06 4.68 $ 18.16 $ 37,770
Sumter, SC 390 10.97 4.64 $ 19.06 $ 39,650
Fort Wayne, IN 2,200 10.52 4.45 $ 22.55 $ 46,910