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

What is a master machinist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a master machinist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.81 an hour? That's $43,290 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 3,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMaster MachinistUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,290

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

5.8

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.52%

Asian 6.38%

Black or African American 4.04%

Hispanic or Latino 15.13%

Unknown 3.73%

White 70.21%

Gender

female 3.47%

male 96.53%

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 master machinist

Explore master machinist education requirements

Most common master machinist degrees

Associate

41.7 %

High School Diploma

31.3 %

Certificate

8.3 %

Start to develop specific master machinist skills

Skills	Percentages
CNC	30.44%
Hand Tools	20.00%
Grinders	8.51%
Machine Shop	4.42%
GD	4.28%

Complete relevant master machinist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New master 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 master machinist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real master machinist resumes.

Research master machinist duties and responsibilities

Manage tooling responsibilies, provide tool/fixture design and fabrication which improve productivity and consistent quality.
Set up and operate machine tools such as drill presses, lathes, milling machines, and precision grinders.
Set up and operate conventional lathes, mills, and grinders.
Used appropriate jigs and fixtures and shop aids as well making own set ups.

Prepare your master machinist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your master 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 master 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 master machinist resume templates

Build a professional master 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 master machinist resume.

Apply for master machinist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a master 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 master machinists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

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2 stars

1 star

Master machinist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2019

Pros

I love the complexity and challenging, complex work involved in the Medical manufacturing sector. Mentoring younger machinists and problem solving and being hands on with complex CNC machines, including multi axis machines including 4&5 axis mills and multi axis mill-turn machines.

Cons

Poor communication with the engineering department and faulty equipment.