How to hire an outside machinist

How to hire an outside machinist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step outside machinist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an outside machinist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new outside machinist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an outside machinist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your outside machinist job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an outside machinist for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An outside machinist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, outside machinists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of outside machinist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Outside Machinist	Description	Hourly rate
   Outside Machinist	Machinists and tool and die makers set up and operate a variety of computer-controlled and mechanically controlled machine tools to produce precision metal parts, instruments, and tools.	$15-27
   Grinder	Depending on the industry, a grinder has a diverse range of duties. Typically, they oversee setting up and operating bearing grinders, cam grinders, and CNC lathes... Show more	$12-19
   Tool Technician	Tool technicians are skilled professionals who are responsible for repairing a variety of pneumatic and hand tools as well as disassemble defective electrical equipment in a manufacturing firm using these hand tools. These technicians are required to coordinate with other areas of the company to schedule and perform preventive maintenance duties... Show more	$13-29

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hand Tools
   • Calipers
   • Condensers
   • Shipyard
   • Evaporators
   • Ladders
   • Hoists
   • Grinders
   • Ventilation
   • Hydraulic Equipment
   • Math
   • Steam Lines
   • Technical Manuals
   • Mechanical Systems

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Manufacture and repair shipyard equipment with hydraulic automatic saws, radial drills and surface grinders.
   • Install and align condensers, compressors, pumps, force draft blowers, main feed pumps, and various valves.

   More outside machinist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the outside machinist job description is a good way to get more applicants. An outside machinist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for an outside machinist in Ohio may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level outside machinist. Additionally, an outside machinist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average outside machinist salary

   $42,858yearly

   $20.60 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level outside machinist salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average outside machinist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$55,604	$27
   2	California	$50,089	$24
   3	Oregon	$49,558	$24
   4	Hawaii	$44,423	$21
   5	Colorado	$44,332	$21
   6	Texas	$43,703	$21
   7	Louisiana	$42,742	$21
   8	Virginia	$42,710	$21
   9	Alabama	$42,155	$20
   10	Rhode Island	$41,914	$20
   11	Florida	$39,915	$19
   12	Georgia	$38,554	$19
   13	South Carolina	$36,984	$18

   Average outside machinist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Oceaneering	$47,845	$23.00	6
   2	Tradesmen International	$45,561	$21.90	45
   3	System One	$43,487	$20.91	8
   4	HKA Enterprises	$43,435	$20.88	3
   5	Sasol Chemicals (USA) LLC	$43,261	$20.80
   6	Grp Inc	$42,681	$20.52
   7	Huntington Ingalls Industries	$42,681	$20.52	14
   8	Electric	$42,681	$20.52	3
   9	Fincantieri Marine Group	$42,659	$20.51
   10	Austal	$42,484	$20.43	2
   11	Bollinger Shipyards	$42,439	$20.40	4
   12	Tecnico	$42,312	$20.34	3
   13	Lyon Shipyard	$42,301	$20.34
   14	Colonna's Shipyard	$42,283	$20.33	7
   15	Gulf Copper	$41,977	$20.18	4
   16	Hutco	$41,350	$19.88	7
   17	Aerotek	$39,418	$18.95	248
   18	Epsilon Systems	$39,126	$18.81	3
   19	Virginia's Community Colleges	$38,091	$18.31
   20	BAE Systems	$37,585	$18.07	22

4. Writing an outside machinist job description

   An outside machinist job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an outside machinist job description:

   Outside machinist job description example

   Tradesmen International is immediately hiring experienced Marine Outside Machinists for projects located in Salisbury, MD. This is a first shift opportunity and the pay rate is up to $30/Hr based on experience and skill level. If you are a Marine Outside Machinist and want to work alongside other proven craftsmen who emphasize safety, productivity, and superior craftsmanship, this is your chance to advance your career!

   Job Scope:

   • Safely and efficiently perform machine labor for equipment and machinery common to maritime vessels and/or general industry including but not limited to pumps, valves, winches, and gear boxes
   • Disassemble various types of equipment and machinery
   • Set up and operate drill presses
   • Perform overhaul maintenance
   • Testing of pumps, valves, turbines, condensers, shafts, rudders, and winches
   • Set up and operate portable machining tools
   • Properly care for and safely use hand and power tools

   Requirements:

   • Experience installing below deck auxiliaries such as evaporators, stills, heaters, pumps, condensers and boilers and connect them to stream pipe systems
   • Experience with troubleshooting and repairing a variety of mechanical equipment
   • Ability to read and understand blueprints, sketches, and templates
   • Must pass a Weld test
   • Ability to lift and/or move up to 75lbs
   • Ability to understand and follow directions

   Company Details:

   Tradesmen International not only offers consistent work, top pay, and employment opportunities, we also provide a benefits package that is among the best in the industry.

   Our comprehensive benefits include:

   • Vacation Pay
   • Health insurance
   • 401(k) profit-sharing savings plan
   • Incentive programs
   • Tool purchase programs & MORE!

   Tradesmen International is an EO employer - M/F/Veteran/Disability

   Click here to visit Tradesmen’s full website

   Recruiter Name: Michelle Myers Location: US-MD-SALISBURY

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right outside machinist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with outside machinists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit outside machinists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your outside machinist job on Zippia to find and recruit outside machinist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit outside machinists, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new outside machinist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the outside machinist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new outside machinist. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an outside machinist?