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What is a senior machinist and how to become one
The Senior Machinist is responsible for setting up and operating highly sophisticated machines to produce prototype parts and technology materials. You are to oversee and coordinate all operational systems to meet the required productions. A senior machinist consults with engineers regarding product information used for fabrication, set up, and operate lathes and milling machines, and drill presses to fabricate. You are also in charge of the installation and maintenance of equipment. This may include the replacement of shafts, bearings, belts, shear pins, pulleys, and gears of various machines. As the senior machinist, you monitor and supervise other workers involved in the operation and production process. You also ensure all setup and production are well developed to standard.
To be a senior machinist, you will need excellent leadership and analytical skills. knowledge of math, AutoCAD, pro engineer, solid works, and geometric dimensions is also needed. However, you must have a minimum of five to six years of machinist experience with a bachelor's degree or high school diploma. The average salary of a senior machinist is $56,912.
Avg. Salary $50,435
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 1%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.52%
Asian 6.37%
Black or African American 4.03%
Hispanic or Latino 15.08%
Unknown 3.73%
White 70.27%
Genderfemale 4.06%
male 95.94%
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
Senior machinist career paths
Key steps to become a senior machinist
Explore senior machinist education requirements
Start to develop specific senior machinist skills
Skills Percentages Calipers 8.70% Micrometers 8.59% Grinders 7.79% Hand Tools 7.71% CNC Machines 7.60% Complete relevant senior machinist training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior 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 senior machinist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior machinist resumes.Research senior machinist duties and responsibilities
- Manage tooling responsibilies, provide tool/fixture design and fabrication which improve productivity and consistent quality.
- Inspect machine parts with calipers, micrometers, dial bores, and CMM.
- Produce custom tools, jigs, or dies.
- Experience with GE Fanuc systems.
Get senior machinist experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior machinist. The most common roles before becoming a senior machinist include machinist, computer numerical controller machinist team lead and numerical control operator.Prepare your senior machinist resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior 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 senior machinist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
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Build a professional senior 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 senior machinist resume.
Apply for senior machinist jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a senior 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
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Average senior machinist salary
The average senior machinist salary in the United States is $50,435 per year or $24 per hour. Senior machinist salaries range between $37,000 and $67,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do senior machinists rate their job?
Senior machinist reviews
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.
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 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.
Poor communication with the engineering department and faulty equipment.
I work for RSI silicon I loved that l I was able to start from the beginning with the raw materials and work the whole process and I really Joyed that and I actually made pure silicon metal right out of the furnace 99.999% it was no need to do acid wash afterwards it was Soler grade right from the start
There was nothing I could say I didn't like about the job I had a lot of opportunity l was able to learn a lot and I really enjoyed it and it didn't feel like a job to me at the time
Updated January 8, 2025
