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What is an outside machinist and how to become one
An Outside Machinist is tasked with ensuring the safety of ships and their components by activating, testing, and operating them in line with standard procedures and policies. He/She installs ships equipment like weapons systems, main machinery, remote operating gear, and the likes. His/Her job involves grinding, reaming, bolting, tacking, and so on. He/She also performs layout, assembly, maintenance, fabrication, and modification of mechanical components and equipment. Also, he/she sets up and operates test apparatus, diagnostic devices, and related equipment. The outside machinist is responsible for recording test procedures and results. He/She runs routine analysis and calculations. He/She also recommends changes in equipment, product, or test methods.
The primary educational requirement is a high school diploma or GED. Applicants must have at least five years of experience: two years in trade school and at least three years of work experience in a related field. Outside machinists are paid an average salary of $50,403 per year.
Avg. Salary $42,858
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 1%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.53%
Asian 6.66%
Black or African American 4.41%
Hispanic or Latino 13.88%
Unknown 3.74%
White 70.79%
Genderfemale 4.28%
male 95.72%
Age - 49American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 49Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is good
6.4 - fair
Outside machinist career paths
Key steps to become an outside machinist
Explore outside machinist education requirements
Start to develop specific outside machinist skills
Skills Percentages Hand Tools 14.79% Calipers 8.36% Condensers 6.33% Shipyard 5.21% Evaporators 5.17% Complete relevant outside machinist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New outside 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 an outside machinist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real outside machinist resumes.Research outside machinist duties and responsibilities
- Manage other employees to ensure members' needs are met and operations run smoothly.
- Operate winches, hoists, indoor cranes, and hydraulic equipment.
- Machine types: Haas and Okuma ,
- Observe safety procedures and maintain safe work area in accordance with OSHA guidelines.
Prepare your outside machinist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your outside 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 an outside 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 outside machinist resume templates
Build a professional outside 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 outside machinist resume.
Apply for outside machinist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an outside 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 did you land your first outside machinist job
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Average outside machinist salary
The average outside machinist salary in the United States is $42,858 per year or $21 per hour. Outside machinist salaries range between $32,000 and $57,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do outside machinists rate their job?
Outside machinist reviews
rewarding upon job completion
most places don't pay enough for outside machinist. always negotiate
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.
I love the creativity. Every job is mostly different. Sometimes you have jobs that are monotonous. Like " OPEN" signs for instance. But most of my buyers have their own logos or designs they would like rendered in neon. It's the diversification that makes this job fulfilling.
The fact that neon is becoming a dying art. I have been doing this for over forty years. This has always been my art and my passion. I mostly repair beer signs to maintain a living these days. I never made a lot of money doing this. But I was able to maintain a living. I would rather make little money doing something I love than to make a lot of money doing something I hate.
Updated January 8, 2025
