Money · 1 of 5
What machinists make
Typical machinist
$58,750
Machine operator
$39,200
Programmer or tool room
$80,010
The national median is $58,750 a year, and the bottom tenth start near $39,200. These are the federal wage survey figures for machinists, which is the official title that covers CNC (computer numerical control) machinists. Aerospace and medical device shops pay above the middle. Job shops doing simple production work pay below it.