How much does an Instrument Maker make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for an Instrument Maker in the United States is $55,806 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $27.
However, an Instrument Maker's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $65,356
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $49,428 to $60,805
Key Factors That Influence Instrument Maker Salaries
An Instrument Maker's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Instrument Maker 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 Instrument Makers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $61,788.
California: $61,554.
Massachusetts: $60,734.
District of Columbia$61,788
California$61,554
Massachusetts$60,734
Washington$60,510
New Jersey$60,488
Alaska$60,410
Connecticut$59,640
New York$59,327
Hawaii$58,328
Rhode Island$57,860
Maryland$57,541
Minnesota$57,106
Colorado$56,939
Illinois$56,883
Oregon$56,671
Delaware$56,515
New Hampshire$56,416
Virginia$56,197
Pennsylvania$55,555
Nevada$55,231
North Dakota$55,125
Michigan$54,958
Wisconsin$54,896
Vermont$54,773
Texas$54,433
Maine$54,411
Arizona$54,377
Ohio$54,338
Georgia$53,825
Indiana$53,568
Wyoming$53,518
Utah$53,440
Iowa$53,406
Kansas$53,138
Louisiana$53,060
North Carolina$53,032
Missouri$53,021
Florida$52,804
Montana$52,686
Nebraska$52,575
Kentucky$52,513
South Carolina$52,290
Tennessee$52,151
Idaho$52,095
New Mexico$51,687
Oklahoma$51,598
Alabama$51,269
South Dakota$50,716
Arkansas$50,415
West Virginia$50,253
Mississippi$49,768
Top Paying Cities for Instrument Makers
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: $70,388
San Francisco: $69,617
Oakland: $68,150
San Jose, CA$70,388
San Francisco, CA$69,617
Oakland, CA$68,150
New York, NY$64,254
Paramus, NJ$63,473
Queens Village, NY$63,470
Passaic, NJ$63,417
Bergenfield, NJ$63,412
Stamford, CT$63,289
Huntington, NY$63,267
Newark, NJ$62,854
Bridgeport, CT$62,736
Vallejo, CA$62,625
New Brunswick, NJ$62,603
Petaluma, CA$62,570
Middlesex, NJ$62,464
Somerset, NJ$62,424
Santa Cruz, CA$62,352
Boston, MA$62,012
Monterey, CA$61,816
Seattle, WA$61,688
Santa Rosa, CA$61,677
Los Angeles, CA$61,660
Juneau, AK$61,515
Washington, DC$61,453
Orange, CA$61,255
Santa Ana, CA$61,107
Long Beach, CA$61,052
Anaheim, CA$61,040
Anchorage, AK$61,013
Santa Maria, CA$60,845
Everett, WA$60,834
Danbury, CT$60,638
Bremerton, WA$60,561
Tacoma, WA$60,360
New Suffolk, NY$60,359
Sacramento, CA$60,343
Santa Barbara, CA$60,282
Trenton, NJ$60,220
San Diego, CA$60,220
Brockton, MA$60,159
Fairbanks, AK$60,022
Lompoc, CA$59,880
Lowell, MA$59,835
Ventura, CA$59,824
Nashua, NH$59,813
Stockton, CA$59,807
Modesto, CA$59,400
Poughkeepsie, NY$59,277
Olympia, WA$59,171
Kennewick, WA$59,171
New Haven, CT$59,149
Lawrence, MA$58,948
Hartford, CT$58,892
Riverside, CA$58,881
New Bedford, MA$58,825
Richland, WA$58,825
Bakersfield, CA$58,747
San Bernardino, CA$58,725
New Britain, CT$58,719
Atlantic City, NJ$58,719
New London, CT$58,697
Norwich, CT$58,680
Portsmouth, NH$58,669
Boulder, CO$58,550
Portland, OR$58,473
Worcester, MA$58,468
Minneapolis, MN$58,295
Philadelphia, PA$58,217
Honolulu, HI$58,033
Saint Paul, MN$58,006
Vineland, NJ$57,993
Providence, RI$57,832
Chicago, IL$57,670
Bellingham, WA$57,603
Springfield, MA$57,558
Baltimore, MD$57,541
Chico, CA$57,402
Pittsfield, MA$57,251
Manchester, NH$57,145
Spokane, WA$56,900
Denver, CO$56,894
Albany, NY$56,632
Troy, NY$56,610
Nassau, NY$56,550
Schenectady, NY$56,492
Wilmington, DE$56,448
Burlington, VT$56,370
Salem, OR$56,347
Portland, ME$56,174
Yakima, WA$56,118
Rochester, MN$55,945
Reno, NV$55,918
Fresno, CA$55,918
Milwaukee, WI$55,867
Detroit, MI$55,811
Ann Arbor, MI$55,802
Allentown, PA$55,795
Colorado Springs, CO$55,700
Syracuse, NY$55,672
Carson City, NV$55,672
Houston, TX$55,594
Eugene, OR$55,566
Gary, IN$55,499
Springfield, OR$55,454
Bismarck, ND$55,443
Galveston, TX$55,404
Medford, OR$55,320
Fort Collins, CO$55,298
Concord, NH$55,270
Austin, TX$55,253
Mesa, AZ$55,136
Reading, PA$55,131
Phoenix, AZ$55,125
Dallas, TX$55,108
Saint Cloud, MN$55,055
Madison, WI$54,980
Utica, NY$54,829
Rochester, NY$54,740
Des Moines, IA$54,734
Raleigh, NC$54,729
Atlanta, GA$54,645
Battle Creek, MI$54,628
Salt Lake City, UT$54,612
Lancaster, PA$54,528
Harrisburg, PA$54,450
Kansas City, MO$54,394
Champaign, IL$54,383
Kansas City, KS$54,383
Fort Worth, TX$54,377
Columbus, OH$54,368
Boca Raton, FL$54,355
Pittsburgh, PA$54,333
Richmond, VA$54,310
Indianapolis, IN$54,299
Cleveland, OH$54,294
Las Vegas, NV$54,227
Cincinnati, OH$54,227
Petersburg, VA$54,143
Huntsville, AL$54,059
Lansing, MI$54,022
Lebanon, PA$54,015
Pueblo, CO$54,009
Appleton, WI$53,992
Buffalo, NY$53,970
Dayton, OH$53,953
Racine, WI$53,942
Charlotte, NC$53,936
Saint Louis, MO$53,920
York, PA$53,886
Elkhart, IN$53,886
Gastonia, NC$53,876
Billings, MT$53,862
Beaumont, TX$53,847
Lorain, OH$53,836
Benton Harbor, MI$53,825
Toledo, OH$53,814
Binghamton, NY$53,786
Rock Hill, SC$53,780
Rockford, IL$53,752
Springfield, IL$53,730
Elyria, OH$53,724
Fargo, ND$53,724
Flagstaff, AZ$53,685
Fort Lauderdale, FL$53,652
Duluth, MN$53,618
Miami, FL$53,618
Cheyenne, WY$53,579
Grand Forks, ND$53,579
Bangor, ME$53,456
Cedar Rapids, IA$53,395
Durham, NC$53,372
Louisville, KY$53,367
Grand Rapids, MI$53,356
Hialeah, FL$53,350
Casper, WY$53,272
Scranton, PA$53,205
New Orleans, LA$53,189
Virginia Beach, VA$53,183
Akron, OH$53,155
Peoria, IL$53,083
Sarasota, FL$53,071
Nashville, TN$53,032
Omaha, NE$53,032
Green Bay, WI$53,032
Baton Rouge, LA$53,004
Charleston, SC$52,993
Jamestown, NY$52,965
Davenport, IA$52,965
Tucson, AZ$52,937
Saint Petersburg, FL$52,904
Tampa, FL$52,893
Evansville, IN$52,859
Port Arthur, TX$52,859
Bradenton, FL$52,837
Santa Fe, NM$52,737
Orlando, FL$52,636
Clearwater, FL$52,619
Canton, OH$52,502
La Crosse, WI$52,502
Albuquerque, NM$52,469
Newport News, VA$52,463
High Point, NC$52,446
Ogden, UT$52,424
Corpus Christi, TX$52,379
Norfolk, VA$52,346
Laramie, WY$52,346
Rock Island, IL$52,312
Saginaw, MI$52,301
Jacksonville, FL$52,296
Salisbury, NC$52,285
Boise, ID$52,273
Moline, IL$52,245
Fort Myers, FL$52,229
Memphis, TN$52,218
Tulsa, OK$52,190
Waterloo, IA$52,156
Spartanburg, SC$52,100
Lincoln, NE$52,072
Fort Wayne, IN$52,061
Provo, UT$52,056
Cedar Falls, IA$51,989
San Antonio, TX$51,966
Greensboro, NC$51,944
South Bend, IN$51,939
Savannah, GA$51,877
Muskegon, MI$51,855
Birmingham, AL$51,849
Winston Salem, NC$51,822
Lake Charles, LA$51,687
Anderson, IN$51,676
Lexington, KY$51,660
Augusta, GA$51,643
Greenville, SC$51,643
Lima, OH$51,598
Wichita, KS$51,593
Tuscaloosa, AL$51,593
Columbia, SC$51,542
Springfield, OH$51,531
Asheville, NC$51,442
Bloomington, IN$51,403
Knoxville, TN$51,202
Shreveport, LA$51,196
Wilmington, NC$51,124
Roanoke, VA$51,124
Topeka, KS$51,023
Frankfort, KY$51,017
Oklahoma City, OK$50,979
Chillicothe, OH$50,956
Longview, TX$50,951
Melbourne, FL$50,945
Sioux Falls, SD$50,856
Mobile, AL$50,850
Terre Haute, IN$50,828
Altoona, PA$50,795
Amarillo, TX$50,755
Killeen, TX$50,739
Fayetteville, AR$50,694
Chattanooga, TN$50,677
Sioux City, IA$50,627
Idaho Falls, ID$50,616
Lynchburg, VA$50,571
Gainesville, FL$50,499
Portsmouth, OH$50,471
Little Rock, AR$50,460
Lafayette, LA$50,437
Youngstown, OH$50,437
Daytona Beach, FL$50,404
Clarksville, TN$50,398
Pensacola, FL$50,393
Temple, TX$50,389
Hopkinsville, KY$50,225
Erie, PA$50,214
Florence, SC$50,192
Charleston, WV$50,103
Great Falls, MT$50,075
Macon, GA$49,997
Tallahassee, FL$49,991
Fayetteville, NC$49,980
Waco, TX$49,969
Helena, MT$49,930
Pine Bluff, AR$49,908
Vincennes, IN$49,840
Lubbock, TX$49,818
Alamogordo, NM$49,784
Twin Falls, ID$49,734
Rapid City, SD$49,717
Jackson, MS$49,617
Huntington, WV$49,613
Greenville, MS$49,611
Parkersburg, WV$49,555
Montgomery, AL$49,544
Wichita Falls, TX$49,489
Springfield, MO$49,489
Biloxi, MS$49,461
Monroe, LA$49,405
Johnstown, PA$49,366
Sumter, SC$49,344
Columbus, GA$49,338
Pascagoula, MS$49,232
Abilene, TX$49,232
Kingsport, TN$49,087
Albany, GA$49,087
Gulfport, MS$49,070
Alexandria, LA$48,886
Fort Smith, AR$48,746
El Paso, TX$48,596
Las Cruces, NM$48,345
Harlingen, TX$48,203
Pocatello, ID$48,194
Florence, AL$48,121
Brownsville, TX$48,110
Mcallen, TX$47,993
Dothan, AL$47,915
Columbus, MS$47,583
Altus, OK$47,323
Lawton, OK$47,217
Pierre, SD$47,016
What Skills Can Increase an Instrument Maker's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 10.4% 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.
Preventative Maintenance (Mentioned in 2.94% Job Postings): Developing and implementing maintenance strategies to increase equipment life expectancy and avoid unplanned downtime.
Data Acquisition (Mentioned in 1.7% Job Postings): Data acquisition is the process of sampling signals that measure real-world physical conditions and converting the resulting samples into digital numeric values that can be manipulated by a computer.
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 an Instrument Maker's salary.
Coordination: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.
Wiring Diagram: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
Instrumentation and Control: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Instrument Maker Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Instrument Maker roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average.
In contrast, Instrument Maker positions in Transportation or Telecom typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Instrument Maker as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for an Instrument Maker
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense
$61,386
$30.0
10%
Biotechnology
$61,386
$30.0
10%
Business Services
$61,386
$30.0
10%
Chemicals
$61,386
$30.0
10%
Construction
$61,386
$30.0
10%
How Education impacts an Instrument Maker's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Instrument Makers enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for an Instrument Maker with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between
$49,620
and $53,987).
Instrument Maker Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how an Instrument Maker'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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$49,428
Average$55,806/year
$60,805
$4,119
Average$4,650/month
$5,067
$951
Average$1,073/week
$1,169
$24
Average$27/hour
$29
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$60,805
$5,067
$1,169
$29
Average
$55,806
$4,650
$1,073
$27
25th Percentile
$49,428
$4,119
$951
$24
Salaries of Jobs related to Instrument Maker
Instrument Engineer$94,251
Instrument Tech$88,965
Instrument Mechanic$79,312
Instrument Specialist$77,897
Instrument Mechanician$77,830
Instrument Fitter$67,916
Sample Maker$62,526
Instrument Coordinator$62,365
Instrument Technician$61,696
Instrument Man$60,054
Instrument Operator$59,321
Salary Trends for Instrument Maker
Salaries for an Instrument Maker can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $49,419 in 2023
to around $48,957 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Instrument Maker salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Instrument Maker Over Time
$???
$49,419
$49,381
$48,957
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$49,419
2024
$49,381
2025
$48,957
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Instrument Maker
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Instrument Maker
Here are companies hiring for Instrument Maker and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Instrument Maker
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Instrument Maker?
The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Instrument Maker roles,
with salaries approximately 10% 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.
