Tool and Die Makers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for tool and die makerss 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
- Washington$97,090
- Kansas$75,960
- Vermont$75,780
- Connecticut$75,520
- California$75,120
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$50,380
- West Virginia$50,880
- New Mexico$52,930
- Arkansas$56,370
- Mississippi$57,860
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $97,090 | $109,390 | $47 | +45.2% | 1,510 |
| 2 | Kansas | $75,960 | $83,890 | $37 | +13.6% | 660 |
| 3 | Vermont | $75,780 | $69,300 | $36 | +13.3% | 140 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $75,520 | $77,540 | $36 | +13% | 1,880 |
| 5 | California | $75,120 | $77,030 | $36 | +12.4% | 1,790 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $73,770 | $74,460 | $35 | +10.3% | 540 |
| 7 | Oregon | $73,660 | $73,930 | $35 | +10.2% | 300 |
| 8 | Maine | $73,240 | $79,910 | $35 | +9.5% | 80 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $72,570 | $69,910 | $35 | +8.5% | 250 |
| 10 | North Dakota | $72,320 | $73,130 | $35 | +8.2% | 70 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $71,660 | $71,020 | $34 | +7.2% | 1,150 |
| 12 | New York | $70,970 | $68,080 | $34 | +6.1% | 1,270 |
| 13 | Indiana | $69,620 | $68,050 | $33 | +4.1% | 4,090 |
| 14 | Nebraska | $68,930 | $69,150 | $33 | +3.1% | 360 |
| 15 | Massachusetts | $68,680 | $67,230 | $33 | +2.7% | 850 |
| 16 | Michigan | $68,670 | $65,590 | $33 | +2.7% | 9,420 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $67,520 | $66,570 | $32 | +1% | 1,900 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $67,520 | $68,120 | $32 | +1% | 2,450 |
| 19 | Missouri | $66,460 | $60,810 | $32 | -0.6% | 1,280 |
| 20 | Nevada | $65,880 | $61,350 | $32 | -1.5% | 220 |
| 21 | Iowa | $65,780 | $65,000 | $32 | -1.6% | 760 |
| 22 | Colorado | $65,620 | $63,800 | $32 | -1.9% | 160 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $65,410 | $63,430 | $31 | -2.2% | 260 |
| 24 | South Carolina | $65,260 | $65,250 | $31 | -2.4% | 870 |
| 25 | Virginia | $64,970 | $64,050 | $31 | -2.8% | 390 |
| 26 | Maryland | $63,950 | $58,110 | $31 | -4.4% | 70 |
| 27 | Florida | $63,560 | $63,890 | $31 | -4.9% | 440 |
| 28 | Alabama | $63,350 | $64,800 | $30 | -5.2% | 690 |
| 29 | Ohio | $63,170 | $62,280 | $30 | -5.5% | 5,520 |
| 30 | Arizona | $62,290 | $59,140 | $30 | -6.8% | 310 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $61,690 | $61,160 | $30 | -7.7% | 3,380 |
| 32 | Georgia | $61,500 | $60,020 | $30 | -8% | 850 |
| 33 | Tennessee | $61,420 | $60,760 | $30 | -8.1% | 2,930 |
| 34 | Illinois | $61,060 | $61,170 | $29 | -8.7% | 5,220 |
| 35 | North Carolina | $60,950 | $61,060 | $29 | -8.8% | 1,580 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $60,820 | $65,870 | $29 | -9% | 330 |
| 37 | Utah | $60,700 | $56,740 | $29 | -9.2% | 270 |
| 38 | Idaho | $59,110 | $57,800 | $28 | -11.6% | 50 |
| 39 | South Dakota | $58,480 | $59,770 | $28 | -12.5% | 60 |
| 40 | Texas | $58,110 | $55,470 | $28 | -13.1% | 1,710 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $57,860 | $57,980 | $28 | -13.5% | 300 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $56,370 | $56,840 | $27 | -15.7% | 290 |
| 43 | New Mexico | $52,930 | $47,960 | $25 | -20.8% | 40 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $50,880 | $46,190 | $24 | -23.9% | 40 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $50,380 | $46,950 | $24 | -24.6% | 170 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 227 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $116,850 | $107,510 | 1,090 |
| 2 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $97,560 | $90,660 | 130 |
| 3 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $87,240 | $83,480 | 60 |
| 4 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $85,740 | $78,720 | 450 |
| 5 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $85,010 | $80,280 | 100 |
| 6 | Lima, OH | $84,730 | $77,690 | 70 |
| 7 | Wichita, KS | $83,890 | $80,080 | 440 |
| 8 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $83,510 | $77,860 | 290 |
| 9 | Stockton-Lodi, CA | $82,820 | $76,530 | 40 |
| 10 | Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $82,210 | $79,470 | 680 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing tool and die makerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scientific Research and Development Services | $93,160 | $88,350 | 80 |
| 2 | Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences | $93,160 | $88,350 | 80 |
| 3 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $92,670 | $90,580 | 1,860 |
| 4 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $84,840 | $89,770 | 3,190 |
| 5 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $82,660 | $85,820 | 370 |
| 6 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $82,660 | $85,800 | 370 |
| 7 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $82,660 | $85,800 | 370 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $82,660 | $85,820 | 370 |
| 9 | Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $81,080 | $81,960 | 400 |
| 10 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | $78,910 | $76,200 | 430 |
| 11 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | $78,450 | $76,760 | 580 |
| 12 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $78,200 | $77,010 | 14,610 |
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 tool and die makers make in the U.S.?
The median tool and die makers salary in the United States is $64,050 per year (mean $66,860), and about 80% earn between $44,680 and $92,680.
How much do tool and die makers make per hour?
Roughly $32 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $66,860 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays tool and die makers the most?
Washington has the highest average pay for tool and die makers at $97,090 per year (median $109,390).
What is the job outlook for tool and die makers?
Employment is projected to change -10.8% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 4,700 openings per year.