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What is a lead machinist and how to become one
Avg. Salary $51,691
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth Rate 1%
Growth Rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.52%
Asian 6.46%
Black or African American 4.16%
Hispanic or Latino 14.66%
Unknown 3.74%
White 70.46%
Genderfemale 4.38%
male 95.62%
Age - 49American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 49Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity Level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work Life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Lead Machinist career paths
Key steps to become a lead machinist
Explore lead machinist education requirements
Start to develop specific lead machinist skills
Skills 
Percentages CNC Lathes 8.91% Grinders 8.43% Calipers 7.57% Machine Tools 6.46% Aluminum 5.80% Complete relevant lead machinist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead machinists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead machinist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead machinist resumes.Research lead machinist duties and responsibilities
- Manage and perform programming of CNC mills, lathes and EDM equipment, instrumentation, data acquisition and control systems.
- Experience with cutting different materials (aluminum, titanium, inconel, mild and stainless steels).
- Program, edit, and setup of CNC lathe with Fanuc control.
- Work machines such as; Haas CNC vertical and horizontal mills and lathes.
Get lead machinist experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a lead machinist. The most common roles before becoming a lead machinist include machinist, computer numerical controller machinist team lead and machine operator.Prepare your lead machinist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead machinist resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead machinist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
Choose From 10+ Customizable Lead Machinist Resume templates
Build a professional Lead Machinist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Lead Machinist resume.
Apply for lead machinist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a lead machinist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Lead Machinist Job
Are you a Lead Machinist?
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Average lead machinist salary
The average Lead Machinist salary in the United States is $51,691 per year or $25 per hour. Lead machinist salaries range between $39,000 and $68,000 per year.
What Am I Worth?
How do lead machinists rate their job?
Lead Machinist reviews
The pay.
Constant Challenge making each day unique and fun. Not hard physical labor but mentally challenging. Constantly evolving skillset in an industry that is always changing and growing.
Some places are straight production shops and there will be limited opportunities to grow in them. When you make a mistake it can be huge and cost 10s of thousands of dollars to fix so you are often on edge.
Meet the customer requirements. Development, Reduce cycle time for machining.
None
Updated January 8, 2025
