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Job outlook for machinists in the United States
Machinist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected machinist job growth rate is 1% from 2018-2028.
About 3,900 new jobs for machinists are projected over the next decade.
Machinist salaries have increased 10% for machinists in the last 5 years.
There are over 288,789 machinists currently employed in the United States.
There are 15,448 active machinist job openings in the US.
The average machinist salary is $42,147.
Are machinist jobs in demand?
Machinist job and salary trends over time
Machinist jobs over time
Machinist job growth rate over time
Year  | # Of Jobs | % Of Population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 288,789 | 0.09% |
| 2020 | 312,292 | 0.09% |
| 2019 | 332,338 | 0.10% |
| 2018 | 333,101 | 0.10% |
| 2017 | 327,875 | 0.10% |
Average machinist salary over time
Machinist salary by year
| Year | Avg. Salary | Hourly Rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $42,147 | $20.26 | +3.2% |
| 2024 | $40,842 | $19.64 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | $40,115 | $19.29 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | $39,168 | $18.83 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $38,341 | $18.43 | +2.8% |
Machinist jobs by state
Most common states for machinists
| Rank | State | Population | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 85 | 6% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 228 | 4% |
| 3 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 292 | 3% |
| 4 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 194 | 3% |
| 5 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 126 | 3% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 110 | 3% |
| 7 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 218 | 2% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 215 | 2% |
| 9 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 173 | 2% |
| 10 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 142 | 2% |
| 11 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 128 | 2% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 126 | 2% |
| 13 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 46 | 2% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 44 | 2% |
| 15 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 29 | 2% |
| 16 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 23 | 2% |
| 17 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 19 | 2% |
| 18 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 16 | 2% |
| 19 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 13 | 2% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 13 | 2% |
Most common cities for machinists
| Rank | City | # of Jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Billerica | 3 | 7% | $53,568 |
| 2 | Downers Grove | 3 | 6% | $40,119 |
| 3 | Kalamazoo | 4 | 5% | $39,094 |
| 4 | El Cajon | 3 | 3% | $44,226 |
| 5 | Wichita | 7 | 2% | $37,960 |
| 6 | Des Moines | 4 | 2% | $34,993 |
| 7 | Irvine | 4 | 2% | $44,794 |
| 8 | Grand Rapids | 3 | 2% | $39,440 |
| 9 | Kansas City | 3 | 2% | $38,208 |
| 10 | Tucson | 5 | 1% | $40,901 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 4 | 1% | $38,971 |
| 12 | Santa Ana | 4 | 1% | $44,860 |
| 13 | Birmingham | 3 | 1% | $42,784 |
| 14 | Fremont | 3 | 1% | $47,571 |
| 15 | Chicago | 4 | 0% | $40,305 |
| 16 | Phoenix | 4 | 0% | $41,174 |
Machinist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of machinist experts
Precision Machined Products Association
What type of skills will young Machinists need?
Miles Free: Skills are essential, but most of our precision machining shops hire for attitude. We will help reliable candidates develop the skills that they need. If we look at employers having wants and needs: want - someone that knows their software. Needs - someone that knows how to adjust code; we'll teach them our software. Wants - excellent math skills. Requires the ability to do high school algebra, geometry, and trig.
Needs - people that can communicate an issue verbally and in writing.
That's where we see it. Critical thinking, ability to understand problems and their potential causes, ability to work well with others, without this, even a super-competent technically skilled person will probably find themselves changing jobs many times.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Machinists to find work opportunities?
Miles Free: Our shops were hiring, even during the pandemic. (Some of us needed extra personnel as we were suddenly making ventilators.) 80% of our PMPA shops today say that they are looking for talent. Small family-owned metalworking shops are particularly useful places to make a career. We pay well, we are putting in the latest technology, our work is essential (in September, our sales were up 8.4%, while manufacturing, in general, was still down 0.3 %).
Our shops help with tuition and training expenses. Our wages are U.S. Household Median after a few years on the job. The best place to find a job in our field is to enroll in a local community college CNC machining program. My experience has been that an employer will likely be trying to hire you before completing your first semester.
How do you envision technology impacting Machinists in the next 5 years?
Miles Free: Technology is going to create higher-value jobs than it is feared it will destroy. There is a shortage of talent. As our shops install more technology (automation) to make up for this, it will require higher-skilled people to program and maintain the new technology and train new people coming into the field. I see a healthy job outlook for machining skills, welding skills, mechatronics, robotics, and systems integration in manufacturing for a very long time. So the current talent will be upskilling to keep up with the new technology's needs. We are looking for a general opinion on entering the workforce!