How to hire an experimental machinist

How to hire an experimental machinist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step experimental machinist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an experimental machinist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new experimental machinist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The experimental machinist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect experimental machinist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of experimental machinist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Experimental Machinist	Description	Hourly rate
   Experimental Machinist	Machinists and tool and die makers set up and operate a variety of computer-controlled and mechanically controlled machine tools to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools.	$15-27
   Grinder	Depending on the industry, a grinder has a diverse range of duties. Typically, they oversee setting up and operating bearing grinders, cam grinders, and CNC lathes... Show more	$12-19
   Tool Technician	Tool technicians are skilled professionals who are responsible for repairing a variety of pneumatic and hand tools as well as disassemble defective electrical equipment in a manufacturing firm using these hand tools. These technicians are required to coordinate with other areas of the company to schedule and perform preventive maintenance duties... Show more	$13-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • CNC
   • Haas
   • Machine Shop
   • Jigs
   • Mastercam
   • Grinders
   • Prototype
   • Stainless Steel
   • Solidworks
   • Cad Cam
   • FANUC
   • Machine Tools
   • Brazing
   • CAD

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Design and build tooling, jig and fixtures to accomplish particular jobs.
   • Manage tooling responsibilies, provide tool/fixture design and fabrication which improve productivity and consistent quality.
   • Programme and operate a CNC lathe to produce engine parts.
   • Set and run Prototrack milling machines, Prototrack lathes, surface grinders.
   • Involve in the setup and operation of manual and CNC machines fabricating parts for the space station and space shuttle.
   • Work directly with engineering students and professors in designing and producing prototype components.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your experimental machinist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An experimental machinist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, experimental machinists' average salary in north carolina is 37% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level experimental machinists 43% less than senior-level experimental machinists.
   • Certifications. An experimental machinist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an experimental machinist's salary.

   Average experimental machinist salary

   $44,108yearly

   $21.21 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level experimental machinist salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

4. Writing an experimental machinist job description

   A job description for an experimental machinist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an experimental machinist job description:

   Experimental machinist job description example

   COVID\-19 continues to significantly impact our employees, families and communities\. With employee health and safety as our top priority, and as a federal contractor, Lockheed Martin is taking action to address the increased risk and uncertainty COVID\-19 variants pose in the workplace and ensuring we meet our commitments to national security\.
   
   To uphold safety for all employees, we will continue to request vaccination status for all Lockheed Martin employees including new hires\. All current and newly hired employees are required to follow onsite safety measures based upon the COVID\-19 Community Level at the specific work location\.
   **Description:** Experimental Aeromechanics Machinist
   
   support the fabrication, assembly,
   
   calibration, and test of rotorcraft scale models,
   
   and the fabrication, static testing, and
   
   environmental conditioning of composite test
   
   articles\.
   
   Specific responsibilities will include:
   
   Support of all composite material machining
   
   requirements in the Aeromechanics/Engineering
   
   Development Center\. Support manual and
   
   CNC machining of composites and metals\.
   
   Support of mechanical and hydraulic assembly, check\-out, and calibration, during model test operations at the
   
   Stratford Plant and other offsite test facilities, as
   
   the test needs require\.
   
   Primarily plans the layout, fabrication, and testing of mechanical devices; sets up and operates
   
   any type of precision machine tool to make original parts, tools, mechanisms, and
   
   devices for experimental purposes\. May be required to solve problems relative to
   
   work\-holding arrangement, unusual materials, machine settings, tools, product
   
   specifications, and fabrication methods for production process\. Normally performs
   
   precision work to exacting tolerances and dimensions for research engineers in a
   
   developmental laboratory condition\. Some machines may be numerically controlled\.
   
   May monitor and verify quality in accordance with statistical process or other
   
   control procedures\.
   
   **Basic Qualifications:**
   
   High School diploma
   
   5 to 7 years experience with machine shop operations\.
   
   Minimum 5 years experience with CNC setup\. operations and programming for lathes and milling machines
   
   **Desired Skills:**
   
   Knowledge of Mastercam 3d and Multi\-axis preferred\.
   
   Experience with Hurco 5\-axis operation and programming\.
   
   Experience with manual and automated inspection process\.
   
   Experience with assembly and dis\-assembly of mechanical and systems to technical blue prints or shop drawings\.
   
   Knowledge of composite materials and
   
   processes\.
   
   Familiarity with basic surface machining and
   
   cutting operations of various materials including
   
   Kevlar, fiberglass, graphite, aluminum and steel\.
   
   Experience using manual and basic CNC
   
   machines including operating surface grinders,
   
   bandsaws, drill presses, and VMC CNC millers is
   
   a plus\.
   
   Experience with layup of multi\-layer composites,
   
   consisting of fiberglass and graphite, with other
   
   materials as required\. Experience with
   
   Composite testing specimens using Sikorsky
   
   Engineering Standard Work\.
   
   Experience with Non destructive test and
   
   inspection techniques
   
   **BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:**
   
   job\.Qualifications
   
   **Lockheed Martin is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer\. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status\.**
   
   Join us at Lockheed Martin, where your mission is ours\. Our customers tackle the hardest missions\. Those that demand extraordinary amounts of courage, resilience and precision\. They're dangerous\. Critical\. Sometimes they even provide an opportunity to change the world and save lives\. Those are the missions we care about\.
   
   As a leading technology innovation company, Lockheed Martin's vast team works with partners around the world to bring proven performance to our customers' toughest challenges\. Lockheed Martin has employees based in many states throughout the U\.S\., and Internationally, with business locations in many nations and territories\.
   
   **EXPERIENCE LEVEL:**
   
   Hourly/Non\-Exempt

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5. Post your job

   To find the right experimental machinist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with experimental machinists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit experimental machinists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your experimental machinist job on Zippia to find and recruit experimental machinist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit experimental machinists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new experimental machinist

   Once you've found the experimental machinist candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new experimental machinist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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