Machinists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for machinistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Hawaii$81,610
- Alaska$81,160
- District of Columbia$73,260
- Washington$71,510
- Massachusetts$69,390
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- West Virginia$51,190
- South Dakota$51,860
- Tennessee$53,180
- Oklahoma$53,450
- Kansas$54,780
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $81,610 | $84,410 | $39 | +37.6% | 260 |
| 2 | Alaska | $81,160 | $77,670 | $39 | +36.8% | 120 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | $73,260 | $72,900 | $35 | +23.5% | 160 |
| 4 | Washington | $71,510 | $66,160 | $34 | +20.5% | 6,880 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $69,390 | $67,270 | $33 | +17% | 7,080 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $66,720 | $63,190 | $32 | +12.5% | 3,210 |
| 7 | Oregon | $65,590 | $63,820 | $32 | +10.6% | 2,760 |
| 8 | Delaware | $65,400 | $62,650 | $31 | +10.2% | 310 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $64,880 | $63,070 | $31 | +9.4% | 290 |
| 10 | Connecticut | $64,030 | $62,130 | $31 | +7.9% | 5,240 |
| 11 | North Dakota | $63,830 | $61,820 | $31 | +7.6% | 560 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $62,830 | $61,110 | $30 | +5.9% | 4,640 |
| 13 | Vermont | $62,800 | $62,680 | $30 | +5.9% | 220 |
| 14 | Virginia | $62,770 | $61,290 | $30 | +5.8% | 5,660 |
| 15 | Colorado | $62,650 | $60,200 | $30 | +5.6% | 2,800 |
| 16 | Minnesota | $62,310 | $61,140 | $30 | +5% | 12,500 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $62,150 | $61,500 | $30 | +4.8% | 1,620 |
| 18 | New York | $61,910 | $60,920 | $30 | +4.4% | 9,400 |
| 19 | Utah | $61,800 | $61,280 | $30 | +4.2% | 3,810 |
| 20 | Montana | $61,530 | $60,920 | $30 | +3.7% | 630 |
| 21 | Maryland | $61,420 | $59,810 | $30 | +3.5% | 1,380 |
| 22 | California | $61,380 | $57,190 | $30 | +3.5% | 18,950 |
| 23 | Missouri | $61,340 | $58,710 | $29 | +3.4% | 8,380 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $60,960 | $59,440 | $29 | +2.8% | 690 |
| 25 | Maine | $60,910 | $59,160 | $29 | +2.7% | 1,780 |
| 26 | Texas | $60,270 | $59,180 | $29 | +1.6% | 21,700 |
| 27 | Rhode Island | $60,230 | $57,760 | $29 | +1.5% | 860 |
| 28 | Arizona | $59,750 | $61,080 | $29 | +0.7% | 4,330 |
| 29 | Kentucky | $59,560 | $58,660 | $29 | +0.4% | 6,040 |
| 30 | Idaho | $59,480 | $58,810 | $29 | +0.3% | 1,070 |
| 31 | Nebraska | $59,090 | $55,860 | $28 | -0.4% | 1,810 |
| 32 | Illinois | $58,920 | $58,520 | $28 | -0.7% | 16,520 |
| 33 | Alabama | $57,860 | $55,560 | $28 | -2.5% | 5,170 |
| 34 | Wisconsin | $57,860 | $59,110 | $28 | -2.5% | 12,700 |
| 35 | Florida | $57,590 | $57,140 | $28 | -2.9% | 8,400 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | $57,080 | $57,810 | $27 | -3.8% | 12,380 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $57,030 | $57,970 | $27 | -3.9% | 3,790 |
| 38 | Iowa | $56,960 | $57,540 | $27 | -4% | 2,880 |
| 39 | Ohio | $56,670 | $57,940 | $27 | -4.5% | 17,110 |
| 40 | Indiana | $56,590 | $57,800 | $27 | -4.6% | 14,320 |
| 41 | Nevada | $56,270 | $53,050 | $27 | -5.1% | 900 |
| 42 | Georgia | $55,690 | $52,610 | $27 | -6.1% | 6,090 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $55,600 | $55,550 | $27 | -6.3% | 1,920 |
| 44 | Michigan | $55,240 | $52,360 | $27 | -6.9% | 20,350 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $55,180 | $51,140 | $27 | -7% | 2,150 |
| 46 | North Carolina | $54,880 | $55,230 | $26 | -7.5% | 8,330 |
| 47 | Kansas | $54,780 | $51,220 | $26 | -7.7% | 3,870 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $53,450 | $51,120 | $26 | -9.9% | 4,230 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $53,180 | $49,600 | $26 | -10.4% | 8,270 |
| 50 | South Dakota | $51,860 | $50,890 | $25 | -12.6% | 830 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $51,190 | $47,350 | $25 | -13.7% | 1,700 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 488 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $85,350 | $77,020 | 50 |
| 2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $84,410 | $81,140 | 250 |
| 3 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $82,690 | $77,420 | 160 |
| 4 | Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $81,030 | $87,500 | 60 |
| 5 | Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA | $80,620 | $79,720 | 370 |
| 6 | Barnstable Town, MA | $77,650 | $77,800 | 30 |
| 7 | Lake Charles, LA | $75,580 | $73,690 | 280 |
| 8 | Anchorage, AK | $75,040 | $74,710 | 50 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $74,560 | $75,190 | 4,250 |
| 10 | Bismarck, ND | $74,090 | $73,150 | 70 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing machinistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hydroelectric Power Generation | $132,680 | $122,580 | 40 |
| 2 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $109,010 | $104,320 | 1,080 |
| 3 | Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $109,010 | $103,310 | 1,120 |
| 4 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $108,490 | $111,900 | 810 |
| 5 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | $108,490 | $111,900 | 810 |
| 6 | Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $105,220 | $103,650 | 310 |
| 7 | Utilities | $104,700 | $101,590 | 390 |
| 8 | Fossil Fuel Electric Power Generation | $104,700 | $105,000 | 200 |
| 9 | Sector 22 - Utilities | $104,700 | $101,590 | 390 |
| 10 | Natural Gas Distribution | $100,540 | $105,300 | 60 |
| 11 | Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | $97,610 | $97,400 | — |
| 12 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) | $90,180 | $79,520 | 70 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do machinists make in the U.S.?
The median machinists salary in the United States is $58,750 per year (mean $59,320), and about 80% earn between $39,200 and $80,010.
How much do machinists make per hour?
Roughly $29 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $59,320 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays machinists the most?
Hawaii has the highest average pay for machinists at $81,610 per year (median $84,410).
What is the job outlook for machinists?
Employment is projected to change 0% from 2024 to 2034 (Slower than average), with about 29,500 openings per year.