How To Become A Lathe Machinist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lathe machinist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average lathe machinist salary is $39,651. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an precision metal working major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a lathe machinist. Lathe machinists with a Master Engine Machinist certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 3,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreLathe MachinistUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,651

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 6.31%

Black or African American 3.95%

Hispanic or Latino 14.64%

Unknown 3.73%

White 70.86%

Gender

female 4.59%

male 95.41%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

5.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.3

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.7

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lathe machinist

Explore lathe machinist education requirements

Most common lathe machinist degrees

High School Diploma

37.9 %

Associate

27.4 %

Diploma

15.3 %

Start to develop specific lathe machinist skills

Skills	Percentages
CNC	22.77%
Calipers	6.60%
Machine Shop	6.11%
Micrometers	6.08%
GD	5.93%

Complete relevant lathe machinist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lathe machinists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lathe machinist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lathe machinist resumes.

Research lathe machinist duties and responsibilities

Manage output according to company quality standards and corresponding ISO certification.
Float throughout the shop running multiple HAAS mills & lathes and Mazak Integrexes.
Used calipers, micrometers, bore gauges, thread gauges and other gauging require for the inspection of parts.
Experience working with FANUC controls.

Prepare your lathe machinist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lathe machinist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lathe machinist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable lathe machinist resume templates

Build a professional lathe machinist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your lathe machinist resume.

Apply for lathe machinist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a lathe machinist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do lathe machinists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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1 star

Lathe machinist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2022

Pros

The different machines it takes to get a job done from boring machines,finish hone machine sunnen [cv616] Sunnen block and head surfacer,working on heads, guide work valve jobs surfacing assembly its working on something different from small blocks to big block chevy to fords.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020

Cons

Some places are straight production shops and there will be limited opportunities to grow in them. When you make a mistake it can be huge and cost 10s of thousands of dollars to fix so you are often on edge.