Salary guide, May 2025
Lead Machinist pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Machinists in the United States was $58,750 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $47,570 and $67,700.
Direct match · SOC 51-4041 Machinists
The Lead Machinist title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,200 | $47,570 | $58,750 | $67,700 | $80,010 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.85 | $22.87 | $28.24 | $32.55 | $38.47 |
BLS estimated 287,050 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-4041 Machinists, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $60,700 | $48,540 to $71,920 | 2,170 | 0.42 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $57,160 | $48,710 to $63,110 | 1,530 | 0.57 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $57,390 | $46,840 to $64,330 | 710 | 0.27 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $61,430 | $49,040 to $65,160 | 570 | 0.42 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $62,750 | $50,920 to $78,240 | 4,300 | 0.25 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $62,750 | $50,920 to $78,240 | 4,300 | 0.25 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $59,830 | $48,820 to $71,230 | 4,660 | 0.62 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,520 | $47,770 to $68,260 | 11,270 | 1.35 |
Rank every metro for Lead Machinist
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$108,490
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$88,750
- Textile Mills (NAICS 313000)$68,700
- Textile Product Mills (NAICS 314000)$65,460
- Paper Manufacturing (NAICS 322000)$62,920
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$61,920
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$61,000
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$60,790
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000)$60,300
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$59,590
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$59,570
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$58,560
- Printing and Related Support Activities (NAICS 323000)$56,630
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$55,600
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$54,910
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 241,490 | $47,630 | $58,540 | $65,390 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 101,640 | $46,270 | $54,910 | $62,730 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 77,100 | $46,380 | $55,660 | $62,530 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 65,540 | $46,630 | $56,640 | $62,740 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 59,550 | $48,480 | $59,590 | $64,390 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 37,190 | $49,900 | $61,920 | $76,080 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 28,550 | $48,640 | $59,780 | $65,000 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 21,200 | $47,700 | $57,980 | $63,600 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 19,950 | $56,250 | $64,140 | $77,570 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 16,400 | $45,500 | $51,850 | $63,100 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 11,570 | $44,790 | $49,640 | $61,110 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 11,210 | $48,960 | $60,790 | $72,400 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 9,780 | $47,800 | $59,570 | $65,490 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 9,360 | $45,330 | $54,270 | $70,080 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 8,470 | $52,610 | $61,230 | $67,220 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 7,670 | $49,900 | $61,180 | $72,470 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 7,490 | $47,300 | $55,550 | $65,970 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 6,120 | $48,990 | $60,680 | $72,050 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 5,640 | $46,250 | $54,210 | $62,900 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 5,570 | $47,520 | $58,560 | $64,230 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,660 | $45,360 | $53,260 | $63,560 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 3,600 | $50,050 | $60,300 | $69,720 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 3,490 | $52,870 | $62,900 | $73,020 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 3,000 | $47,640 | $57,440 | $70,830 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 2,830 | $49,300 | $59,590 | $64,520 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 2,690 | $48,970 | $60,540 | $70,970 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 2,440 | $46,950 | $55,460 | $64,180 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 2,180 | $44,460 | $49,280 | $60,210 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 2,050 | $48,930 | $55,600 | $70,320 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 1,330 | $49,310 | $58,750 | $65,350 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 1,110 | $46,090 | $50,990 | $61,860 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 1,070 | $52,450 | $52,480 | $60,430 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 1,060 | $48,150 | $59,500 | $59,520 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 1,030 | $48,730 | $48,930 | $49,020 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 1,000 | $49,000 | $50,720 | $60,850 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 920 | $50,120 | $59,090 | $66,610 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 900 | $45,550 | $58,360 | $69,310 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 880 | $48,990 | $61,000 | $70,170 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 830 | $60,850 | $63,820 | $91,720 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 810 | $103,280 | $108,490 | $111,780 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 810 | $103,280 | $108,490 | $111,780 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 750 | $45,090 | $51,110 | $59,960 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 670 | $38,970 | $48,380 | $55,190 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 670 | $38,900 | $48,120 | $54,870 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 650 | $43,020 | $49,390 | $63,890 |
| 322000 · 3-digit | Paper Manufacturing | 610 | $38,570 | $62,920 | $78,490 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 570 | $52,450 | $52,480 | $56,520 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 520 | $46,920 | $54,390 | $63,880 |
| 322200 · 4-digit | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 500 | $38,570 | $54,410 | $71,520 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 430 | $58,920 | $64,500 | $78,800 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 420 | $83,180 | $88,750 | $91,040 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 390 | $84,520 | $88,750 | $91,040 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 390 | $52,280 | $71,870 | $76,930 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 340 | $46,920 | $48,880 | $61,460 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 240 | $42,800 | $50,310 | $60,010 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 190 | $42,610 | $46,260 | $68,130 |
| 323000 · 3-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 160 | $49,320 | $56,630 | $74,210 |
| 323100 · 4-digit | Printing and Related Support Activities | 160 | $49,320 | $56,630 | $74,210 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 120 | $63,670 | $68,640 | $75,480 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 110 | $50,940 | $60,830 | $62,840 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 110 | $75,700 | $87,730 | $91,530 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 100 | $44,020 | $47,630 | $65,130 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 80 | $53,270 | $53,270 | $58,540 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 80 | $37,680 | $37,880 | $50,440 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 70 | $56,380 | $69,910 | $76,960 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 70 | $47,950 | $59,060 | $71,050 |
| 313000 · 3-digit | Textile Mills | 60 | $58,910 | $68,700 | $72,860 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 60 | $50,790 | $57,640 | $63,260 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 50 | $56,880 | $56,910 | $61,800 |
| 313200 · 4-digit | Fabric Mills | 50 | $58,910 | $70,180 | $73,270 |
| 339910 · 5-digit | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 40 | $44,990 | $62,370 | $64,420 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 30 | $72,060 | $86,060 | $96,780 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 30 | $60,550 | $65,460 | $76,140 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $44,610 | $57,000 | $74,680 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Lead Machinist, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $46,250 | $56,150 | $64,910 |
| May 2025 | $47,570 | $58,750 | $67,700 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about a move that can hold up?
Someone working in experienced machinists already guiding setups and mentoring operators needs a clear reason to leave. If the answer depends on authority over difficult machining work and practical guidance for other machinists that you cannot offer, that mismatch belongs in the conversation before an offer.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Lead Machinist?
The median annual wage for Machinists in the United States was $58,750 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $47,570 and $67,700.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $39,200. 90% earned less than $80,010.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Lead Machinist at a plant?
The Lead Machinist title maps to the published occupation. The duties align, but BLS combines employers and industries. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 287,050 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters identifies the Lead Machinist role within the SOC 51-4041 Machinists occupation. For Lead Machinist in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $58,750; the May 2024 median is $56,150. Their arithmetic difference is $2,600. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
For Lead Machinist in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
BLS occupational groupings do not distinguish between production machinists and those with working leadership responsibilities. Industry figures for Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing show a median of $108,490, while Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing shows a median of $88,750. These reflect national industry averages rather than local occupational benchmarks. Hiring managers should focus on assessing a candidate's ability to solve process errors and manage shop-floor quality. Relying solely on the broad SOC 51-4041 data may lead to undervaluation of the technical leadership needed for this specific role.
Regional analysis reveals different salary structures between high-employment metros. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin displays a median of $59,520 with a $20,490 middle-band width. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington shows a higher median at $62,070 with a $24,440 middle-band width. These metros are selected for their high volume of machining roles. While these figures help set benchmarks, they are occupational averages and do not account for the specific responsibilities of a Lead Machinist. Assess candidate fit by checking for proven success in preventing setup errors rather than assuming universal leadership definitions.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
These figures are benchmarks for the machining profession rather than custom pay tables for leads. For Lead Machinist in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $47,570 to $67,700 annually.
Does the SOC 51-4041 include leadership duties?
The SOC 51-4041 category covers machinists generally and does not formally separate working leadership roles. You must evaluate the candidate's specific history with shop-floor guidance and technical problem-solving.
Why is there such a wide variation in industry medians?
Industries like Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing often have specific pay structures related to their technical environments. These figures represent averages for all machinists in those sectors, not specific data for lead roles.
How should managers apply these figures to a Lead Machinist hire?
These figures are benchmarks for the machining profession rather than custom pay tables for leads. For Lead Machinist in the United States, percentiles describe the wage distribution of the mapped occupation. The published middle interval is $47,570 to $67,700 annually. They do not assign pay to plant size, seniority, credentials or job complexity. Assess duties and candidate requirements separately; these rows do not measure a premium for them.
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