Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages O*NET task lead SOC 51-4041

Machinists

O*NET task statements lead this Machinists card before OEWS pay; neighboring titles include Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Gas Plant Operators, Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Machinists: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Gas Plant Operators ($88K) , Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic ($64K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Machinists publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4041 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Calculate dimensions or tolerances, using instruments, such as micrometers or vernier calipers
  2. 2. Machine parts to specifications, using machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, or grinders
  3. 3. Measure, examine, or test completed units to check for defects and ensure conformance to specifications, using precision instruments, suc…
  4. 4. Set up, adjust, or operate basic or specialized machine tools used to perform precision machining operations
  5. 5. Program computers or electronic instruments, such as numerically controlled machine tools
  6. 6. Study sample parts, blueprints, drawings, or engineering information to determine methods or sequences of operations needed to fabricate…
  7. 7. Monitor the feed and speed of machines during the machining process
  8. 8. Maintain machine tools in proper operational condition
  9. 9. Fit and assemble parts to make or repair machine tools
  10. 10. Support metalworking projects from planning and fabrication through assembly, inspection, and testing, using knowledge of machine functio…
  11. 11. Align and secure holding fixtures, cutting tools, attachments, accessories, or materials onto machines
  12. 12. Confer with numerical control programmers to check and ensure that new programs or machinery will function properly and that output will…

Machinists: O*NET ranks Operation and Control first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4041 - lead skill Operation and Control at 3.3 ; lead knowledge Mathematics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operation and Control 3.3
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.1
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.1
  4. 4. Operations Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Active Listening 3.0
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Coordination 3.0
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mathematics 3.5
  2. 2. Mechanical 3.3
  3. 3. Production and Processing 3.3
  4. 4. Design 3.0
  5. 5. Engineering and Technology 2.7
  6. 6. English Language 2.7
National median after O*NET task lead
$58,750
/year · 12 published task lines above
Lead task: Calculate dimensions or tolerances, using instruments, such as micrometers or vernier calipers
$59K
National median
29,500
Annual openings
287,050
Estimated US jobs
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Highest-pay peer · $97K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Machinists

1. Wyoming $63,070
2. New Jersey $63,190
3. Massachusetts $67,270
4. Delaware $62,650
5. District of Columbia $72,900
6. Washington $66,160
7. Alaska $77,670
8. Hawaii $84,410
9. Vermont $62,680
10. Oregon $63,820

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  2. 2. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  3. 3. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870
  4. 4. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  5. 5. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  6. 6. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120

O*NET publishes 12 leading task statements for Machinists (SOC 51-4041). The national OEWS median is $58,750 inside Production Occupations. Same-group neighbors: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Gas Plant Operators, Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic. Lead published task: Calculate dimensions or tolerances, using instruments, such as micrometers or vernier calipers.

A separate current BLS Employment Projections row is not available for Machinists. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Wyoming at $63,070. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers at $96,710. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Machinists pay-rank #18 in Production Occupations

Among 105 detailed Production Occupations with a published OEWS median, Machinists is pay-rank #18, the upper third of that major group. The order is ROW_NUMBER on national median (title as tiebreak), not a worker-level percentile.

Other upper-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

SOC 51-4041 · national median $58,750 · upper third of Production Occupations (#18/105). The day-to-day tasks above set this role apart from peers with a similar title.

Machinists salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4041

Wyoming · top state for Machinists

$63K published median

New Jersey · #2 state pay

$63K · behind Wyoming

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Highest-pay peer vs Machinists · $97K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Machinists · $62K

Compare Machinists

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Machinists with another occupation →

Role and task next reads

Machinists full salary map

State and metro OEWS after the task lead

Compare tasks and pay

Side-by-side with another occupation

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Production Occupations titles sit near Machinists at the top of the pay table? ▼
Machinists is pay-rank #18 of 105 detailed Production Occupations with an OEWS median, upper third. Nearest upper-third titles: Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders ($58K), Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic ($58K), Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators ($60K), Tire Builders ($57K). Rank is ROW_NUMBER on national median.
What do machinists do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Machinists. Leading ones include: Calculate dimensions or tolerances, using instruments, such as micrometers or vernier calipers; Machine parts to specifications, using machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, or grinders; Measure, examine, or test completed units to check for defects and ensure conformance to specifications, using precision instruments, suc…; Set up, adjust, or operate basic or specialized machine tools used to perform precision machining operations. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for machinists? ▼
For SOC 51-4041, O*NET importance scores lead with Operation and Control (3.3), Critical Thinking (3.1), Monitoring (3.1), Operations Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Mathematics, Mechanical, Production and Processing. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Machinists? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $58,750 as the national median for Machinists. The published 10th-90th range is $39,200 to $80,010. Beside Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($96,710), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Machinists? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Machinists. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Machinists? ▼
Wyoming ($63,070), New Jersey ($63,190), Massachusetts ($67,270) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Machinists card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4041. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Machinists. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics