Instrument maker vs manual machinist

The differences between instrument makers and manual machinists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an instrument maker and a manual machinist. Additionally, a manual machinist has an average salary of $48,038, which is higher than the $41,702 average annual salary of an instrument maker.

The top three skills for an instrument maker include CNC, brazing and CAD. The most important skills for a manual machinist are grinders, calipers, and CNC.

Instrument maker vs manual machinist overview

	Instrument Maker	Manual Machinist
Yearly salary	$41,702	$48,038
Hourly rate	$20.05	$23.10
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	9,633	9,149
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 41%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Instrument maker vs manual machinist salary

Instrument makers and manual machinists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Instrument Maker	Manual Machinist
Average salary	$41,702	$48,038
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $56,000	Between $35,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	Fremont, CA
Highest paying state	-	New Mexico
Best paying company	-	Empower
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between instrument maker and manual machinist education

There are a few differences between an instrument maker and a manual machinist in terms of educational background:

	Instrument Maker	Manual Machinist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 41%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Instrument maker vs manual machinist demographics

Here are the differences between instrument makers' and manual machinists' demographics:

	Instrument Maker	Manual Machinist
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%	Male, 96.8% Female, 3.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between instrument maker and manual machinist duties and responsibilities

Instrument maker example responsibilities.

Mount DCS and PLC cabinets and familiar with there systems.
Work safely along with all proper ppe, and with NEC, nfpa 70e, and osha standards.
Loop checking and control logic simulation from DCS panel to field instruments.
Perform instrument quality checks using gauges, micrometers, calipers, and other measuring equipment.
Design, machine, and assemble special cutting tools, jigs, and fixtures for holding parts and removing metal.
Work independently to machine parts to tight tolerance, design and implement fixtures and jigs while meeting aggressive production quantities.

Manual machinist example responsibilities.

Measure and assemble sewing control panel frames of various material (stainless steel, carbon and aluminum).
Set up and operation of Bridgeport mills, lathes and surface grinders to produce details for precision ball screw assemblies.
Complete fabrication and machine shop work with MIG, TIG and stick welders, manual and CNC mills and lathes.
Operate towmotor, and mig welder
Perform quality GTAW welding in various positions.
Start working for SKF in 2010 and are introduced the aerospace industry.

Instrument maker vs manual machinist skills

Common instrument maker skills

CNC, 18%
Brazing, 11%
CAD, 9%
Grinders, 9%
Calipers, 7%
Hand Tools, 6%

Common manual machinist skills

Grinders, 10%
Calipers, 10%
CNC, 10%
ID, 5%
Machine Shop, 5%
Hand Tools, 5%