Machinist demographics and statistics in the US
Machinist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates machinist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our machinist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about machinists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 288,789 machinists currently employed in the United States.
- 7.4% of all machinists are women, while 92.6% are men.
- The average machinist age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of machinists is White (70.8%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (13.9%), Asian (6.7%) and Black or African American (4.4%).
- Machinists are most in-demand in Houston, TX.
- The automotive industry is the highest-paying for machinists.
- 3% of all machinists are LGBT.
On this page
Machinist demographics by:
Machinist gender statistics
7.4% of machinists are women and 92.6% of machinists are men.
- Male, 92.6%
- Female, 7.4%
Machinist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 92.6% |
| Female | 7.4% |
Machinist gender pay gap
Women earn 89¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$41,095
Female income
$36,519
Machinist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in machinist positions over time. Currently, 7.4% of machinists are female.
Machinist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 94.05% | 5.95% |
| 2011 | 92.58% | 7.42% |
| 2012 | 93.78% | 6.22% |
| 2013 | 93.61% | 6.39% |
| 2014 | 93.43% | 6.57% |
| 2015 | 94.10% | 5.90% |
| 2016 | 94.07% | 5.93% |
| 2017 | 93.26% | 6.74% |
| 2018 | 93.37% | 6.63% |
| 2019 | 93.34% | 6.66% |
| 2020 | 93.82% | 6.18% |
| 2021 | 92.57% | 7.43% |
Machinist related jobs gender ratio
We compared machinists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, head machinist and die repair machinist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Special Process Person | 31% | 69% |
| Machinist | 93% | 7% |
| Research And Development Machinist | 99% | 1% |
| Die Repair Machinist | 99% | 1% |
| Head Machinist | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Machinist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among machinists is White, which makes up 70.8% of all machinists. Comparatively, 13.9% of machinists are Hispanic or Latino and 6.7% of machinists are Asian.
- White, 70.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 13.9%
- Asian, 6.7%
- Black or African American, 4.4%
- Unknown, 3.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
Machinist race
| Machinist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 70.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 13.9% |
| Asian | 6.7% |
| Black or African American | 4.4% |
| Unknown | 3.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
Machinist race and ethnicity over time
See how machinist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Machinist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.05% | 5.80% | 5.12% | 12.30% |
| 2011 | 73.36% | 6.41% | 4.94% | 13.05% |
| 2012 | 74.73% | 6.12% | 5.08% | 12.56% |
| 2013 | 74.00% | 6.49% | 5.56% | 12.13% |
| 2014 | 75.54% | 5.31% | 4.55% | 13.19% |
| 2015 | 74.31% | 5.63% | 5.50% | 12.57% |
| 2016 | 74.19% | 5.38% | 5.49% | 13.34% |
| 2017 | 74.06% | 5.41% | 5.11% | 13.61% |
| 2018 | 74.85% | 5.14% | 5.40% | 12.86% |
| 2019 | 74.44% | 4.97% | 5.47% | 13.28% |
| 2020 | 71.22% | 6.17% | 5.40% | 12.84% |
| 2021 | 70.80% | 4.40% | 6.66% | 13.87% |
Machinist wage gap by race
According to our data, asian machinists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Hispanic or latino machinists have the lowest average salary at $39,194.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $41,268 |
| White | $42,335 |
| Black or African American | $39,315 |
| Asian | $43,536 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $39,194 |
Average machinist age
See how the average age of machinists varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Machinist age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 48.5 | 47 |
| White | 50 | 46 |
| Black or African American | 49.5 | |
| Asian | 52 | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 47 | 47 |
Machinist age breakdown
The average age of machinists is 40+ years years old, representing 71% of the machinist population.
Machinist age breakdown
| Machinist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 71% |
| 30-40 years | 20% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Machinist educational attainment
The most common degree for machinists is high school diploma, with 40% of machinists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 15%.
- High School Diploma, 40%
- Associate, 26%
- Bachelor's, 15%
- Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 8%
Machinists by degree level
| Machinist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma | 40% |
| Associate | 26% |
| Bachelor's | 15% |
| Diploma | 11% |
| Other Degrees | 8% |
Machinist jobs you might like
Machinist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, machinists with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $43,772 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, machinists earn a median annual income of $43,126 compared to $41,152 for machinists with an High School Diploma degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $41,152 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $43,126 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,772 |
Machinist employment statistics
Most machinists work for a private in the manufacturing industry.
Company size where machinists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where machinists work.
Machinist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 5% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 11% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 20% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 9% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 27% |
| > 10,000 employees | 27% |
Machinist jobs by company type
Employees with the machinist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most machinists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Machinist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 31% |
| Private | 66% |
| Government | 2% |
Machinist jobs by industry
The most common industries for machinists are manufacturing, professional and technology.
Machinist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 32% |
| Professional | 12% |
| Fortune 500 | 11% |
| Technology | 9% |
| Energy | 6% |
| Transportation | 5% |
| Automotive | 5% |
| Finance | 3% |
| Health Care | 3% |
| Government | 2% |
| Construction | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
Machinist turnover and employment statistics
Machinist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for machinists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Machinist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Machinist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 10.04% |
| 2011 | 6.29% |
| 2012 | 4.94% |
| 2013 | 4.37% |
| 2014 | 3.49% |
| 2015 | 2.85% |
| 2016 | 3.38% |
| 2017 | 2.46% |
| 2018 | 1.76% |
| 2019 | 1.95% |
| 2020 | 3.49% |
| 2021 | 4.05% |
Average machinist tenure
The average machinist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 59,655 machinists resumes in Zippia's database.
Machinist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 22% |
| 1-2 years | 32% |
| 3-4 years | 15% |
| 5-7 years | 14% |
| 8-10 years | 6% |
| 11+ years | 12% |
Machinist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of machinists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Welding Lead Burner | 2.57% | 2,004 |
| Die Builder | 2.99% | 4,002 |
| Machine Lay Out Worker | 3.20% | 51,333 |
| Machinist | 3.26% | - |
| Finish Mill Operator | 3.27% | 27,033 |
| Fabric Machine Operator | 5.87% | 65,896 |
| Edge Grinder | 6.48% | 646 |
Similar machinist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Welding Lead Burner | 2.57% | 2,004 |
| Die Builder | 2.99% | 4,002 |
| Machine Lay Out Worker | 3.20% | 51,333 |
| Finish Mill Operator | 3.27% | 27,033 |
| Fabric Machine Operator | 5.87% | 65,896 |
| Edge Grinder | 6.48% | 646 |
Foreign languages spoken by machinists
The most common foreign language among machinists is Spanish at 65.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 6.1% and French is the third-most popular at 5.6%.
- Spanish, 65.2%
- German, 6.1%
- French, 5.6%
- Carrier, 3.3%
- Vietnamese, 3.0%
- Other, 16.8%
Machinist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 65.2% |
| German | 6.1% |
| French | 5.6% |
| Carrier | 3.3% |
| Vietnamese | 3.0% |
| Other | 16.8% |
