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Job outlook for machine operators in the United States
Machine operator job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected machine operator job growth rate is -6% from 2018-2028.
About -114,900 new jobs for machine operators are projected over the next decade.
Machine operator salaries have increased 15% for machine operators in the last 5 years.
There are over 1,267,157 machine operators currently employed in the United States.
There are 96,834 active machine operator job openings in the US.
The average machine operator salary is $32,874.
Are machine operator jobs in demand?
No, machine operator jobs are not in demand. Machine operator demand is projected to decline -6% from 2018 to 2028.
Machine operator job and salary trends over time
Compare the number of machine operator jobs and the average machine operator salary over time.
Machine operator jobs over time
Machine operator job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,267,157 | 0.38% |
| 2020 | 1,015,658 | 0.30% |
| 2019 | 1,338,079 | 0.40% |
| 2018 | 1,075,323 | 0.32% |
| 2017 | 1,060,066 | 0.32% |
Average machine operator salary over time
Machine operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $32,874 | $15.80 | +5.3% |
| 2024 | $31,212 | $15.01 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $30,376 | $14.60 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $29,561 | $14.21 | +3.7% |
| 2021 | $28,493 | $13.70 | +4.5% |
Machine operator jobs by state
The map below shows you the number of machine operator job openings in each state. The darker areas on the map show where machine operators earn the highest salaries across all 50 states.
Average salary: Job openings:
Most common states for machine operators
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 1,287 | 19% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 1,010 | 17% |
| 3 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 965 | 16% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 216 | 16% |
| 5 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 110 | 16% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 977 | 15% |
| 7 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 801 | 14% |
| 8 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 453 | 14% |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 152 | 14% |
| 10 | Alaska | 739,795 | 105 | 14% |
| 11 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,272 | 11% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 215 | 11% |
| 13 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,258 | 10% |
| 14 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 860 | 10% |
| 15 | Vermont | 623,657 | 61 | 10% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 1,122 | 9% |
| 17 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 407 | 9% |
| 18 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 291 | 9% |
| 19 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 248 | 9% |
| 20 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 117 | 9% |
Most common cities for machine operators
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Salina | 42 | 89% | $32,962 |
| 2 | New Berlin | 31 | 78% | $35,806 |
| 3 | Holland | 26 | 78% | $32,656 |
| 4 | Florence | 25 | 77% | $34,550 |
| 5 | Menomonee Falls | 24 | 65% | $35,869 |
| 6 | Lake Forest | 29 | 35% | $33,992 |
| 7 | Grand Rapids | 39 | 20% | $32,715 |
| 8 | Tampa | 29 | 8% | $27,460 |
| 9 | Santa Ana | 28 | 8% | $34,037 |
| 10 | Fort Wayne | 21 | 8% | $34,177 |
| 11 | Milwaukee | 33 | 6% | $35,847 |
| 12 | Minneapolis | 24 | 6% | $37,003 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 46 | 5% | $33,581 |
| 14 | Denver | 34 | 5% | $32,957 |
| 15 | Chicago | 29 | 1% | $33,799 |
| 16 | Houston | 22 | 1% | $28,233 |
| 17 | Phoenix | 21 | 1% | $32,124 |