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Metal machinist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Usually, metal machinists don't need a college education. The most common degree for metal machinists is high school diploma with 35% graduates, with only 28% metal machinist graduates earning bachelor's degree. Metal machinists who decided to graduate from college often finish University of Phoenix or Purdue University. Some good skills to have in this position include hand tools, cnc and cad.

What education do you need to become a metal machinist?

What degree do you need to be a metal machinist?

The most common degree for metal machinists is high school diploma, with 35% of metal machinists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 28% and bachelor's degree degree at 23%.
  • High School Diploma, 35%
  • Bachelor's, 28%
  • Associate, 23%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a metal machinist?

You should major in precision metal working to become a metal machinist. 17% of metal machinists major in precision metal working. Other common majors for a metal machinist include business and management.

Best majors for metal machinists

RankMajorPercentages
1Precision Metal Working17.1%
2Business14.3%
3Management5.7%
4Fine Arts5.7%
5Education5.7%

20 best online courses for metal machinists

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1. Selective Laser Sintering and Metal Laser Powder Bed Fusion

coursera

Powder bed fusion is one of the additive manufacturing processes that has found the most application in functional part production. In this course we discuss this process in the context of polymers (selective laser sintering) and metals (laser powder bed fusion), with an emphasis on machine setup and post-processing. The necessary elements for each course are lecture videos, knowledge checks, and project completion. For additional information on certain topics, I've included supplemental...

2. Deploying Redis Enterprise for GKE and Serverless App on Anthos Bare Metal

coursera

This is a self-paced lab that takes place in the Google Cloud console. In this lab you will learn how to create Compute Engine VMs on Google Cloud with L2 connectivity through the use of vxlan built-in functionality in Linux. You'll be using the Compute Engine VMs to simulate Anthos on Bare Metal (BM) in high-availability mode which requires L2 connectivity. The deployment will consist of 4 VMs to deploy Anthos on BM, 1 x workstation, 1 x control plane nodes and 2 x worker nodes. Then you'll...

3. Fusion 360 tutorial for CNC machinists

udemy
4.3
(575)

CAD CAM training for CNC machinists using fusion 360...

4. CNC Milling machine programming using G-Code

udemy
4.7
(331)

Learning to read and write CNC programs with FANUC G Code has never been so easy...

5. Multi-Axis CNC Toolpaths

coursera

Computer Numerical Controlled machines, or CNC for short, can have a nearly endless number of options. Most machines today control tool motion in 3-axes, X, Y and Z, but can be upgraded to include a 4th or 5th axis as well, A and B. Additionally, there are many machines on the market that are already 5-axis capable. The good news is that Autodesk® Fusion 360™ has you covered if you need to control multi-axis positioning or simultaneous motion in all 5 axes at once! Want to take your learning to...

6. Introduction to CNC Programming

udemy
4.5
(1,678)

Learn to program CNC Routers and CNC Milling machines that use the GCODE language...

7. Solidworks Sheet Metal

udemy
4.7
(680)

Learn the entire Solidworks Sheet Metal module, with one of the most comphrensive courses available, covering all tools...

8. Fusion 360 CAD/CAM for CNC routers

udemy
4.5
(397)

Make any part using your CNC router with Fusion 360...

9. Ultimate Black Metal Guitar!

udemy
4.7
(610)

Learn The Techniques, Theory, And Secrets Of Black Metal Guitar Playing To Become An Awesome Black Metal Guitarist!...

10. Basics of Sheet metal design for Mechanical design engineers

udemy
4.3
(793)

Learn Sheet metal design, processes and practical design considerations along with Design projects...

11. Kinesiology Taping - Self application course

udemy
4.8
(303)

Learn to apply Kinesiology tape to yourself or family/friends/patients...

12. Analog Audio Tape Recorder Basic Theory and Alignment

udemy
4.7
(372)

Become part of the analog audio resurgence! Learn how these machines work with step- by-step alignment instructions...

13. Basic G-code Programming for CNC Mills.

udemy
4.7
(293)

Learn to Read, Edit and Write G-code programs for 3-axis CNC mills...

14. Introduction to Laser-Cutting

udemy
4.7
(251)

Learn to create designs for laser-cutters in less than a day...

15. Positive Self Talk - Affirmations & Mindset

udemy
4.6
(5,495)

Reprogram your mind for positivity, success and growth...

16. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations For Branding

udemy
4.3
(496)

Public relations to reach 100,000+ people with influencer marketing, publicity, and press coverage for personal branding...

17. Embedded Systems Bare-Metal Programming Ground Up™ (STM32)

udemy
4.6
(2,165)

No Libraries used, Professional CMSIS Standard, ARM Cortex, ADC,UART,TIMERS, DMA,SPI,I2C,RTC,GPIO etc...

18. Modern PR - How To Get Press Coverage For Your Business

udemy
4.5
(1,398)

A proven public relations / PR system to get press coverage for your company or product, from a journalist's perspective...

19. Tape Reading: Learn how to read the tape for day trading

udemy
4.2
(687)

Learn how to read the tape, a technique of day trading veterans use to profit from the stock market every day!...

20. Instructional Design Pro (Part 1): No Beginners Allowed!

udemy
4.2
(1,750)

Write Golden Training Curriculum that's Easier to Learn and More Enjoyable to Teach...

Average metal machinist salary by education level

According to our data, metal machinists with a Associate degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,583 annually. Metal machinists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $44,030.
Metal machinist education levelMetal machinist salary
High School Diploma or Less$42,330
Bachelor's Degree$44,030
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,583

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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