What are the main factors that influence a General Machinist's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A General Machinist's salary?

A General Machinist's salary grows with experience: a General Machinist (1-3 years)earns $50,929, a CNC Machine Operator II (3-5 years)earns $64,513, a CNC Machine Operator III (5-7 years)earns $73,356,

What are the highest paying states for a General Machinist?

General Machinist salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for General Machinist roles are District of Columbia $57,719, California $57,500, Massachusetts $56,734. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of General Machinist roles make?

Salaries for General Machinist level roles vary by specialization: Expert Machinist: $73,400; General Machinist IV: $73,370; Machinist IV: $73,364; General Machinist III: $65,800; Machinist III: $65,768.

How do different companies affect a General Machinist's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for General Machinist roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

General Machinist Salary in the United States

How much does a General Machinist make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a General Machinist in the United States is $52,131 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $25.

However, a General Machinist's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $63,148
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $47,256 to $57,898
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $42,818

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General Machinist Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$57,898	$4,825	$1,113	$28
Average	$52,131	$4,344	$1,003	$25
25th Percentile	$47,256	$3,938	$909	$23

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Key Factors That Influence General Machinist Salaries

A General Machinist's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do General Machinist Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract General Machinists. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $57,719.
California: $57,500.
Massachusetts: $56,734.

District of Columbia $57,719 California $57,500 Massachusetts $56,734 Washington $56,525 New Jersey $56,505 Alaska $56,432 Connecticut $55,712 New York $55,420

Hawaii $54,487 Rhode Island $54,049 Maryland $53,752 Minnesota $53,345 Colorado $53,189 Illinois $53,137 Oregon $52,939 Delaware $52,793

New Hampshire $52,701 Virginia $52,496 Pennsylvania $51,896 Nevada $51,594 North Dakota $51,495 Michigan $51,338 Wisconsin $51,281 Vermont $51,166

Texas $50,848 Maine $50,828 Arizona $50,796 Ohio $50,760 Georgia $50,280 Indiana $50,040 Wyoming $49,993 Utah $49,920

Iowa $49,889 Kansas $49,639 Louisiana $49,566 North Carolina $49,540 Missouri $49,529 Florida $49,326 Montana $49,217 Nebraska $49,112

Kentucky $49,055 South Carolina $48,847 Tennessee $48,716 Idaho $48,664 New Mexico $48,284 Oklahoma $48,200 Alabama $47,893 South Dakota $47,376

Arkansas $47,095 West Virginia $46,944 Mississippi $46,490

Top Paying Cities for General Machinists

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $65,753
San Francisco: $65,033
Oakland: $63,662

San Jose, CA $65,753

San Francisco, CA $65,033

Oakland, CA $63,662

New York, NY $60,023

Paramus, NJ $59,293

Queens Village, NY $59,290

Passaic, NJ $59,241

Bergenfield, NJ $59,236

Stamford, CT $59,122

Huntington, NY $59,100

Newark, NJ $58,715

Bridgeport, CT $58,605

Vallejo, CA $58,501

New Brunswick, NJ $58,480

Petaluma, CA $58,449

Middlesex, NJ $58,350

Somerset, NJ $58,314

Santa Cruz, CA $58,246

Boston, MA $57,928

Monterey, CA $57,745

Seattle, WA $57,625

Santa Rosa, CA $57,615

Los Angeles, CA $57,599

Juneau, AK $57,464

Washington, DC $57,406

Orange, CA $57,221

Santa Ana, CA $57,083

Long Beach, CA $57,031

Anaheim, CA $57,021

Anchorage, AK $56,995

Santa Maria, CA $56,838

Everett, WA $56,828

Danbury, CT $56,644

Bremerton, WA $56,572

Tacoma, WA $56,385

New Suffolk, NY $56,384

Sacramento, CA $56,369

Santa Barbara, CA $56,312

Trenton, NJ $56,254

San Diego, CA $56,254

Brockton, MA $56,197

Fairbanks, AK $56,069

Lompoc, CA $55,936

Lowell, MA $55,894

Ventura, CA $55,884

Nashua, NH $55,874

Stockton, CA $55,869

Modesto, CA $55,488

Poughkeepsie, NY $55,373

Olympia, WA $55,274

Kennewick, WA $55,274

New Haven, CT $55,253

Lawrence, MA $55,066

Hartford, CT $55,014

Riverside, CA $55,003

New Bedford, MA $54,951

Richland, WA $54,951

Bakersfield, CA $54,878

San Bernardino, CA $54,857

New Britain, CT $54,852

Atlantic City, NJ $54,852

New London, CT $54,831

Norwich, CT $54,816

Portsmouth, NH $54,805

Boulder, CO $54,695

Portland, OR $54,623

Worcester, MA $54,617

Minneapolis, MN $54,456

Philadelphia, PA $54,383

Honolulu, HI $54,211

Saint Paul, MN $54,186

Vineland, NJ $54,174

Providence, RI $54,023

Chicago, IL $53,872

Bellingham, WA $53,809

Springfield, MA $53,768

Baltimore, MD $53,752

Chico, CA $53,622

Pittsfield, MA $53,481

Manchester, NH $53,382

Spokane, WA $53,153

Denver, CO $53,147

Albany, NY $52,902

Troy, NY $52,881

Nassau, NY $52,826

Schenectady, NY $52,772

Wilmington, DE $52,730

Burlington, VT $52,657

Salem, OR $52,636

Portland, ME $52,475

Yakima, WA $52,423

Rochester, MN $52,261

Reno, NV $52,235

Fresno, CA $52,235

Milwaukee, WI $52,188

Detroit, MI $52,136

Ann Arbor, MI $52,127

Allentown, PA $52,120

Colorado Springs, CO $52,032

Syracuse, NY $52,006

Carson City, NV $52,006

Houston, TX $51,933

Eugene, OR $51,907

Gary, IN $51,844

Springfield, OR $51,802

Bismarck, ND $51,792

Galveston, TX $51,755

Medford, OR $51,677

Fort Collins, CO $51,656

Concord, NH $51,630

Austin, TX $51,615

Mesa, AZ $51,505

Reading, PA $51,500

Phoenix, AZ $51,495

Dallas, TX $51,479

Saint Cloud, MN $51,429

Madison, WI $51,359

Utica, NY $51,219

Rochester, NY $51,135

Des Moines, IA $51,130

Raleigh, NC $51,125

Atlanta, GA $51,046

Battle Creek, MI $51,031

Salt Lake City, UT $51,015

Lancaster, PA $50,937

Harrisburg, PA $50,864

Kansas City, MO $50,812

Champaign, IL $50,801

Kansas City, KS $50,801

Fort Worth, TX $50,796

Columbus, OH $50,787

Boca Raton, FL $50,775

Pittsburgh, PA $50,755

Richmond, VA $50,734

Indianapolis, IN $50,723

Cleveland, OH $50,718

Las Vegas, NV $50,655

Cincinnati, OH $50,655

Petersburg, VA $50,577

Huntsville, AL $50,499

Lansing, MI $50,464

Lebanon, PA $50,457

Pueblo, CO $50,452

Appleton, WI $50,437

Buffalo, NY $50,416

Dayton, OH $50,400

Racine, WI $50,390

Charlotte, NC $50,384

Saint Louis, MO $50,369

York, PA $50,338

Elkhart, IN $50,338

Gastonia, NC $50,328

Billings, MT $50,315

Beaumont, TX $50,301

Lorain, OH $50,291

Benton Harbor, MI $50,280

Toledo, OH $50,270

Binghamton, NY $50,244

Rock Hill, SC $50,238

Rockford, IL $50,212

Springfield, IL $50,192

Elyria, OH $50,186

Fargo, ND $50,186

Flagstaff, AZ $50,150

Fort Lauderdale, FL $50,119

Duluth, MN $50,087

Miami, FL $50,087

Cheyenne, WY $50,051

Grand Forks, ND $50,051

Bangor, ME $49,936

Cedar Rapids, IA $49,879

Durham, NC $49,857

Louisville, KY $49,853

Grand Rapids, MI $49,842

Hialeah, FL $49,837

Casper, WY $49,764

Scranton, PA $49,702

New Orleans, LA $49,686

Virginia Beach, VA $49,681

Akron, OH $49,655

Peoria, IL $49,587

Sarasota, FL $49,576

Nashville, TN $49,540

Omaha, NE $49,540

Green Bay, WI $49,540

Baton Rouge, LA $49,514

Charleston, SC $49,503

Jamestown, NY $49,477

Davenport, IA $49,477

Tucson, AZ $49,451

Saint Petersburg, FL $49,420

Tampa, FL $49,410

Evansville, IN $49,378

Port Arthur, TX $49,378

Bradenton, FL $49,357

Santa Fe, NM $49,264

Orlando, FL $49,170

Clearwater, FL $49,154

Canton, OH $49,045

La Crosse, WI $49,045

Albuquerque, NM $49,013

Newport News, VA $49,008

High Point, NC $48,993

Ogden, UT $48,972

Corpus Christi, TX $48,930

Norfolk, VA $48,899

Laramie, WY $48,899

Rock Island, IL $48,867

Saginaw, MI $48,857

Jacksonville, FL $48,852

Salisbury, NC $48,841

Boise, ID $48,831

Moline, IL $48,805

Fort Myers, FL $48,789

Memphis, TN $48,779

Tulsa, OK $48,753

Waterloo, IA $48,721

Spartanburg, SC $48,669

Lincoln, NE $48,643

Fort Wayne, IN $48,633

Provo, UT $48,628

Cedar Falls, IA $48,565

San Antonio, TX $48,544

Greensboro, NC $48,523

South Bend, IN $48,518

Savannah, GA $48,461

Muskegon, MI $48,440

Birmingham, AL $48,435

Winston Salem, NC $48,409

Lake Charles, LA $48,284

Anderson, IN $48,273

Lexington, KY $48,257

Augusta, GA $48,242

Greenville, SC $48,242

Lima, OH $48,200

Wichita, KS $48,195

Tuscaloosa, AL $48,195

Columbia, SC $48,148

Springfield, OH $48,138

Asheville, NC $48,054

Bloomington, IN $48,018

Knoxville, TN $47,830

Shreveport, LA $47,825

Wilmington, NC $47,757

Roanoke, VA $47,757

Topeka, KS $47,663

Frankfort, KY $47,657

Oklahoma City, OK $47,621

Chillicothe, OH $47,601

Longview, TX $47,595

Melbourne, FL $47,590

Sioux Falls, SD $47,507

Mobile, AL $47,502

Terre Haute, IN $47,481

Altoona, PA $47,449

Amarillo, TX $47,413

Killeen, TX $47,397

Fayetteville, AR $47,356

Chattanooga, TN $47,340

Sioux City, IA $47,293

Idaho Falls, ID $47,283

Lynchburg, VA $47,241

Gainesville, FL $47,173

Portsmouth, OH $47,147

Little Rock, AR $47,137

Lafayette, LA $47,116

Youngstown, OH $47,116

Daytona Beach, FL $47,085

Clarksville, TN $47,079

Pensacola, FL $47,074

Temple, TX $47,070

Hopkinsville, KY $46,918

Erie, PA $46,907

Florence, SC $46,886

Charleston, WV $46,803

Great Falls, MT $46,777

Macon, GA $46,704

Tallahassee, FL $46,699

Fayetteville, NC $46,688

Waco, TX $46,678

Helena, MT $46,641

Pine Bluff, AR $46,622

Vincennes, IN $46,558

Lubbock, TX $46,537

Alamogordo, NM $46,506

Twin Falls, ID $46,459

Rapid City, SD $46,443

Jackson, MS $46,349

Huntington, WV $46,346

Greenville, MS $46,344

Parkersburg, WV $46,291

Montgomery, AL $46,282

Wichita Falls, TX $46,230

Springfield, MO $46,230

Biloxi, MS $46,204

Monroe, LA $46,151

Johnstown, PA $46,115

Sumter, SC $46,094

Columbus, GA $46,089

Pascagoula, MS $45,990

Abilene, TX $45,990

Kingsport, TN $45,854

Albany, GA $45,854

Gulfport, MS $45,839

Alexandria, LA $45,667

Fort Smith, AR $45,536

El Paso, TX $45,396

Las Cruces, NM $45,161

Harlingen, TX $45,028

Pocatello, ID $45,020

Florence, AL $44,952

Brownsville, TX $44,942

Mcallen, TX $44,832

Dothan, AL $44,760

Columbus, MS $44,450

Altus, OK $44,207

Lawton, OK $44,108

Pierre, SD $43,920

What Skills Can Increase a General Machinist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 1.81% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
Machine Controls (Mentioned in 1.31% Job Postings): Machine Control is the use of positioning tools and a display to provide a construction machinery operator with a reference between the position of the bucket or blade and the target grade.
Preventive Maintenance (Mentioned in 1.02% Job Postings): Preventive maintenance is the act of performing regularly scheduled maintenance activities to help prevent unexpected failures in the future. Put simply, it's about fixing things before they break.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting	1.81%
Machine Controls	1.31%
Preventive Maintenance	1.02%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a General Machinist's salary.

Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Verbal Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
CAD: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Collaboration	$54,216	4%
Verbal Communication	$54,216	4%
CAD	$54,216	4%
Programming	$53,695	3%
Welding	$53,695	3%
Scheduling	$53,695	3%

Get Latest Data

General Machinist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For General Machinist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the MFG Durable and Retail & Wholesale sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, General Machinist positions in Software & Networking or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view General Machinist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a General Machinist

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
MFG Durable	$78,196	$38.0	50%
Retail & Wholesale	$67,770	$33.0	30%
Aerospace & Defense	$62,557	$30.0	20%
Edu., Gov't. & Nonprofit	$57,344	$28.0	10%

General Machinist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a General Machinist's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

$47,256

Average $52,131/year

$57,898

$3,938

Average $4,344/month

$4,825

$909

Average $1,003/week

$1,113

$23

Average $25/hour

$28

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$57,898	$4,825	$1,113	$28
Average	$52,131	$4,344	$1,003	$25
25th Percentile	$47,256	$3,938	$909	$23

Salaries of jobs related to General Machinist

Salary Trends for General Machinist

Salaries for a General Machinist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $43,262 in 2023 to around $43,300 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of General Machinist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of General Machinist Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$43,262

2024

$43,417

2025

$43,300

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$43,262
2024	$43,417
2025	$43,300
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for General Machinist

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FAQ about General Machinist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for General Machinist?

The MFG Durable industry offers the highest average compensation for General Machinist roles, with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

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