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Job outlook for journeyman machinists in the United States
Journeyman machinist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected journeyman machinist job growth rate is 1% from 2018-2028.
About 3,900 new jobs for journeyman machinists are projected over the next decade.
Journeyman machinist salaries have increased 10% for journeyman machinists in the last 5 years.
There are over 155,868 journeyman machinists currently employed in the United States.
There are 13,800 active journeyman machinist job openings in the US.
The average journeyman machinist salary is $50,598.
Are journeyman machinist jobs in demand?
Journeyman machinist job and salary trends over time
Journeyman machinist jobs over time
Journeyman machinist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 155,868 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 168,554 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 179,373 | 0.05% |
| 2018 | 179,785 | 0.05% |
| 2017 | 176,964 | 0.05% |
Average journeyman machinist salary over time
Journeyman machinist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $50,598 | $24.33 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | $49,030 | $23.57 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $48,158 | $23.15 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | $47,021 | $22.61 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $46,028 | $22.13 | +2.8% |
Journeyman machinist jobs by state
Most common states for journeyman machinists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 158 | 4% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 39 | 4% |
| 3 | South Dakota | 869,666 | 31 | 4% |
| 4 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 190 | 3% |
| 5 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 189 | 3% |
| 6 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 94 | 3% |
| 7 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 85 | 3% |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 37 | 3% |
| 9 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 35 | 3% |
| 10 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 18 | 3% |
| 11 | Vermont | 623,657 | 16 | 3% |
| 12 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 208 | 2% |
| 13 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 195 | 2% |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 151 | 2% |
| 15 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 131 | 2% |
| 16 | Missouri | 6,113,532 | 105 | 2% |
| 17 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 94 | 2% |
| 18 | West Virginia | 1,815,857 | 36 | 2% |
| 19 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 21 | 2% |
| 20 | Alaska | 739,795 | 14 | 2% |
Most common cities for journeyman machinists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Granger | 1 | 3% | $49,591 |
| 2 | Richmond | 1 | 1% | $56,230 |
| 3 | Tucson | 1 | 0% | $43,027 |
Journeyman Machinist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of journeyman machinist experts
Precision Machined Products Association
What type of skills will young Journeyman Machinists need?
Miles Free: Skills are essential, but most of our precision machining shops hire for attitude. We will help reliable candidates develop the skills that they need. If we look at employers having wants and needs: want - someone that knows their software. Needs - someone that knows how to adjust code; we'll teach them our software. Wants - excellent math skills. Requires the ability to do high school algebra, geometry, and trig.
Needs - people that can communicate an issue verbally and in writing.
That's where we see it. Critical thinking, ability to understand problems and their potential causes, ability to work well with others, without this, even a super-competent technically skilled person will probably find themselves changing jobs many times.
How do you envision technology impacting Journeyman Machinists in the next 5 years?
Miles Free: Technology is going to create higher-value jobs than it is feared it will destroy. There is a shortage of talent. As our shops install more technology (automation) to make up for this, it will require higher-skilled people to program and maintain the new technology and train new people coming into the field. I see a healthy job outlook for machining skills, welding skills, mechatronics, robotics, and systems integration in manufacturing for a very long time. So the current talent will be upskilling to keep up with the new technology's needs. We are looking for a general opinion on entering the workforce!