Salary guide, May 2025

Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter) 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 Engine and Other Machine Assemblers in the United States was $53,710 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $45,230 and $74,920.

Broader occupation · SOC 51-2031 Engine and Other Machine Assemblers

Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter) is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers in U.S.: median $53,710; published 25th to 75th percentile $45,230 to $74,920.

Annual wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$38,500	$45,230	$53,710	$74,920	$77,750

Engine and Other Machine Assemblers in U.S.: median $25.82; published 25th to 75th percentile $21.75 to $36.02.

Hourly wage percentiles, U.S.
10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
$18.51	$21.75	$25.82	$36.02	$37.38

BLS estimated 34,000 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-2031 Engine and Other Machine Assemblers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.

How does pay compare in the target metros?

Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter) pay in target metros (May 2025)
Metro	Median	25th to 75th	Employment	Location quotient
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply.
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL	Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply.
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL	Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply.
Raleigh-Cary, NC	Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply.
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$62,400	$50,910 to $72,170	90	0.04
Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	$62,400	$50,910 to $72,170	90	0.04
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	Not published by BLS for this area. National figures above apply.
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	$49,630	$40,950 to $49,630	540	0.55

Rank every metro for Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter)

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.

Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$80,170
Rubber Product Manufacturing$72,380
Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing$71,040
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$70,150
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing$61,680
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$60,530
Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing$60,530
Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing$56,270
Electrical Equipment Manufacturing$55,340
Manufacturing$53,710
Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$49,800
Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)$48,990
Machinery Manufacturing$47,470
Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing$47,270
Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$46,070

Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.

Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter) (SOC 51-2031) by manufacturing industry, national, May 2025
NAICS	Industry	Employment	25th	Median	75th
31-33	Manufacturing	31,810	$45,400	$53,710	$75,770
336000	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	21,900	$46,810	$60,530	$75,930
336300	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	19,090	$46,500	$60,530	$75,930
333000	Machinery Manufacturing	9,140	$41,920	$47,470	$58,450
333600	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	5,420	$40,940	$46,070	$57,870
3330A1	Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)	2,920	$44,940	$48,990	$57,330
336400	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	2,320	$49,620	$70,150	$93,130
333500	Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing	480	$49,620	$61,680	$64,680
332000	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	390	$35,170	$43,660	$53,400
332700	Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	360	$35,120	$43,660	$50,940
332710	Machine Shops	360	$35,120	$43,660	$50,940
333300	Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing	310	$47,250	$47,270	$56,460
336100	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	230	$64,060	$80,170	$84,950
335000	Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing	200	$44,510	$56,270	$63,960
326000	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	190	$37,390	$71,040	$72,380
335300	Electrical Equipment Manufacturing	190	$44,510	$55,340	$67,940
336900	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	60	$39,040	$49,800	$58,400
326200	Rubber Product Manufacturing	Not published by BLS	$60,990	$72,380	$75,660

What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?

For Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter), write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. 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?

Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter) in the United States, annual wages, May 2024 and May 2025
Release period	25th	Median	75th
May 2024	$42,790	$52,540	$70,050
May 2025	$45,230	$53,710	$74,920

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 an interview based on the work?

Build the interview around mechanical assembly and adjustment of manufactured production equipment. A practical discussion of a build issue resolved through drawings, fit checks and controlled rework can test judgment without using confidential drawings or customer information. Those limits help establish equipment building rather than repeating a simple assembly operation; they are part of competence, not a weakness to talk around.

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 Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter)?

What does the 10th percentile mean here?

10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $38,500. 90% earned less than $77,750.

Does this include overtime or bonuses?

Is this the pay for a Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter) at a plant?

How many people work in this occupation?

BLS estimated 34,000 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.

What should you know about related?

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Underlying BLS figures for this role (JSON)

Reading this wage estimate

What does this data mean for your opening?

Machine Builder (equipment OEM assembly fitter) is analyzed under SOC 51-2031, Engine and Other Machine Assemblers. The national median for this occupation is $53,710, reflecting a 1170 increase from May 2024. The middle-band width is 29,690, with the 25th percentile at $45,230 and the 75th percentile at $74,920.

BLS does not separate OEM builders from general assemblers, so this analysis focuses on candidates who can resolve build issues through drawings and controlled rework rather than just completing repetitive assembly tasks.

The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI, metro area reports a median of $64,820, an increase of 14890. The Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC, area reports a median of $46,950, a 3580 decrease. Manufacturing Headhunters monitors these regional medians to provide local context for hiring managers. The significant wage movement in Detroit suggests how specialized industrial demand in high-employment metros influences the compensation packages required to secure high-skill machine builders.

National industry-specific benchmarks include Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (NAICS 336100) at $80,170, Rubber Product Manufacturing (NAICS 326200) at $72,380, and Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (NAICS 326000) at $71,040. These national figures provide a framework for evaluating OEM builder wages, but they remain separate from local market conditions. Managers should note that BLS data excludes non-wage compensation items, including project-specific completion bonuses or shift premiums that are often part of equipment OEM assembly roles.

The May 2025 data serves as the foundation for this analysis, provided without estimation. The 29,690 middle-band width demonstrates a significant range of potential compensation based on technical seniority. When hiring machine builders, the primary objective is to verify their fit-check and rework skills against complex assembly drawings. Rely on the percentiles to anchor your salary strategy, particularly when assessing regions with high industrial competition or those with volatile wage shifts. All data is intended to support an informed evaluation of candidate capabilities.

Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?

What technical skills differentiate an OEM assembly fitter from an assembler?

The builder must be capable of resolving build deviations by reviewing drawings and conducting fit checks, whereas a standard assembler is typically limited to predefined assembly operations. We screen for this specialized rework ability.

How can I use the 29,690 middle-band width to guide an offer?

The 29,690 middle-band width indicates that base pay for machine builders varies widely based on proficiency. Use this range to position your offer based on the candidate's verified skill level in complex mechanical fitting.

What do the regional wage changes imply for hiring?

Large regional fluctuations indicate that market demand for assemblers in hubs like Detroit is highly dynamic. Managers should keep updated on local wage trends rather than relying solely on national, long-term averages.