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What is a research and development machinist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a research and development machinist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $23.01 an hour? That's $47,852 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 3,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreResearch And Development MachinistUS Average
Salary
3.7

Avg. Salary $47,852

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 6.61%

Black or African American 4.34%

Hispanic or Latino 13.78%

Unknown 3.74%

White 71.01%

Gender

female 1.18%

male 98.82%

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

Research and development machinist career paths

Key steps to become a research and development machinist

  1. Explore research and development machinist education requirements

    Most common research and development machinist degrees

    Associate

    45.8 %

    Bachelor's

    22.2 %

    High School Diploma

    16.7 %
  2. Start to develop specific research and development machinist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    CNC26.88%
    Mastercam6.82%
    Troubleshoot6.72%
    FANUC5.59%
    Solidworks5.35%
  3. Complete relevant research and development machinist training and internships

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

    • Design machinery using SolidWorks; programme CNC utilizing CamWorks.
    • Plan, design, engineer and fabricate jigs, fixtures, dies and industrial machines.
    • Set up and run all machines including lathes, mills, grinders, and hand tools.
    • Operate all tools within the primary department, whether it be manual, automatic, or CNC machines.
  5. Prepare your research and development machinist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your research and development 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 research and development 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 research and development machinist resume templates

    Build a professional research and development 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 research and development machinist resume.
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
    Research And Development Machinist Resume
  6. Apply for research and development machinist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a research and development machinist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first research and development machinist job

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Average research and development machinist salary

The average research and development machinist salary in the United States is $47,852 per year or $23 per hour. Research and development machinist salaries range between $35,000 and $64,000 per year.

Average research and development machinist salary
$47,852 Yearly
$23.01 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do research and development machinists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Research and development machinist reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
Cons

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.

Pros

Constant Challenge making each day unique and fun. Not hard physical labor but mentally challenging. Constantly evolving skillset in an industry that is always changing and growing.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

Meet the customer requirements. Development, Reduce cycle time for machining.

Cons

None


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Sep 2019
Pros

Manufacturing broken components (gears,couplings,shafts and engine block Reboring)

Cons

No complaints


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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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