Money · 1 of 5
What machinists make
Working machinist
$58,750
Machine operator
$39,200
Tool room or aerospace
$80,010
The national median is $58,750 a year and the bottom tenth are near $39,200. The jump from the bottom to the middle is mostly the jump from running somebody else's program to setting up jobs and reading prints yourself. Aerospace, medical and defense shops pay above general production work.