A machinist is a highly skilled professional who works with metal. Most commonly, machinists work in manufacturing or construction-related fields where they program, maintain and repair complex machinery.
If you want to be a successful machinist, you need excellent math and science skills as well as strong hand-eye coordination. The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities for skilled workers like yourself in this rapidly growing industry!
With a growing need for skilled workers, the machinist industry is an excellent career choice.
In a recent Forbes article, it was reported that the machinist industry is one of the fastest-growing jobs in America. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that it’s projected to grow by 7.9 percent up until 2024, which is faster than average for all careers in America.
The demand for skilled machinists has also been on the rise over the past few years due to manufacturing companies looking for more efficient ways to operate their businesses and meet customer demands. As a result, these companies are hiring more machinists and other workers with specialized skillsets like programming and CAD design experience!
The pay can vary depending on where you live and where you work.
Your machinist salary can vary depending on where you live and where you work. For example, if you’re a machinist in California, your average annual wage is $57,390. But if you move to Michigan, that same job title falls below the nationwide mean at $38,310 per year.
As far as cities go: If you’re looking for a high-paying gig as a machinist in New York City or San Francisco (CA), then this might not be the right industry for your career goals—but if smaller locales are more up your alley then there’s hope!
Other factors may also affect how much money you make as a machinist; things like company size and industry type can play a role in determining how much experience matters when it comes time to negotiate salary increases down the line. A few examples include:
- A small manufacturer will typically pay less than an established corporation with an international presence because they have fewer resources available for competitively compensating their employees due to lower sales volumes (and therefore profits). On top of that consideration comes another factor which only works against workers: Because small businesses often don’t offer benefits packages such as health insurance coverage or 401k retirement plans then those costs are absorbed into employee wages instead—making them less attractive places for many people who would otherwise consider themselves qualified candidates when searching for jobs elsewhere within larger organizations.”
Incomes are also based on experience, specializations, and certifications.
Building on your education and experience is one way to increase your salary. Earning certifications, specializations, and additional training will help you land a job that pays more money.
- Certifications: A certification is an independent evaluation of your skills that verifies their accuracy.
- Specializations: A specialization is a focused field of study within a certain subject area. It may require you to take additional classes or courses related to the specialization before being eligible for it.
- Additional Training: Some companies offer tuition reimbursement programs if you want to attend training outside of work hours; these programs allow employees who want more specialized knowledge in their field or industry without taking time away from work (and they usually pay back some portion of the cost).
Median hourly wages in all states range from $14/hr to nearly $40/hr as of August 2020.
Median hourly wages in all states range from $14/hr to nearly $40/hr as of August 2020.
Highest-paying States: Oregon ($36.74), Washington ($37.69), New Jersey (34.27).
Lowest-paying States: Nevada ($15), Florida ($17), Maine ($19).
Most Job Openings: Arizona (512 jobs available), California (506 jobs available) and Texas (405 jobs available) are the top three states for job openings for machinists as of August 2019, according to indeed.com
Oregon ranked at the top paying state, followed by Washington and New Jersey.
Oregon, Washington and New Jersey have the highest paying machinist jobs. Nevada, Florida and Maine are also good places to find a machinist job if you want to live in one of these states. Arizona, California, Texas and Michigan also have a large number of machinist positions available.
In Alaska, machinists make over $27 on average for their hourly pay rate which is very high compared with other states that have lower wages for workers in this profession.
Machinist
Colorado is another state with many opportunities available for those looking for work as a machinist or other similar positions; however some research will be required before moving there because there may not be enough jobs available at first glance
Nevada, Florida, and Maine have some of the highest paying machinist jobs in the country.
Nevada, Washington, and New Jersey are the top paying states for machinists. These three states have the highest average salary for machinists at $50k per year, followed by Maine at $47k and Florida at $45k.
New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts pay less than other states.
The majority of the available machinist jobs are located in Arizona, California, Texas, and Michigan.
The majority of the available machinist jobs are located in Arizona, California, Texas, and Michigan. New York and Illinois have the fewest available jobs for machinists.
This is because of the concentration of manufacturing in these states. In fact, these four states account for almost 40 percent of all manufacturing employment in America. If you’re looking to move out west or into one of these four states specifically—Arizona being your best bet if you want a higher salary—you’ll likely find it easier to get a job as a machinist than if you were looking to relocate somewhere else on this list:
- Oregon: $54K
- Connecticut: $48K
- Colorado: $46K
But what about other cities? Let’s take an even closer look at where exactly people have been hiring machines operators recently using Indeed’s job listings data from March 2019 (the latest date we could pull).
Machinists can make a good living if they choose their location carefully.
Location is an important factor in determining how much you can earn as a machinist. As with any other profession, the cost of living and the average salary vary from place to place. For example, if you’re working in California’s Bay Area or Silicon Valley and spend most of your time working on expensive machinery for tech companies like Apple, Google, or Tesla Motors then it’s likely that your income will be higher than if you were working at a small machine shop in Iowa that services local farmers who need parts made out of steel to repair their tractors and combines.
Machinists often specialize in areas like aerospace engineering or automotive manufacturing. These industries tend to pay more than other areas of machining because they are considered elite fields that require extensive training and experience for entry-level workers (usually five years).
A degree from an accredited school is required for most jobs involving these specializations; however there are some entry-level positions available without one if you have previous experience as an apprentice machinist who learned everything from scratch using on-the-job training at their current job site!
Certification is another way for workers to increase their earning potential within this field–and it doesn’t stop once they’ve earned their certificate either! There are several different types available through various organizations such as ASME International (American Society Mechanical Engineers), SAE International (Society Automotive Engineers), IMACS International Machinery & Equipment Co., Ltd., NDT Training Institute Inc., etcetera…
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you learn more about what it takes to become a machinist. It’s a great career choice for people who enjoy working with their hands, have good manual dexterity, and have an interest in math and science. If this sounds like you then why not give it a try?
