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What is a tool room 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 tool room machinist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $21.7 an hour? That's $45,143 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 3,900 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreTool Room MachinistUS Average
Salary
3.5

Avg. Salary $45,143

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
5.8

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.2
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.54%

Asian 7.17%

Black or African American 5.06%

Hispanic or Latino 10.92%

Unknown 3.76%

White 72.54%

Gender

female 2.11%

male 97.89%

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

Tool room machinist career paths

Key steps to become a tool room machinist

  1. Explore tool room machinist education requirements

    Most common tool room machinist degrees

    High School Diploma

    36.1 %

    Associate

    35.5 %

    Diploma

    11.2 %
  2. Start to develop specific tool room machinist skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Jigs11.89%
    Grinders11.14%
    Hand Tools10.35%
    Calipers8.58%
    Micrometers8.34%
  3. Complete relevant tool room machinist training and internships

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

    • Fabricate gauges, jigs, fixtures, extrusion dies, and various types of cut die components.
    • Design and construct drill jigs, bending fixtures, welding jigs and components for a wide variety of government contracts
    • Work closely with customers to determine job requirements, troubleshoot equipment problems and answer customer questions.
    • Operate / set up manual bridgeports.
  5. Prepare your tool room machinist resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your tool room 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 tool room 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 tool room machinist resume templates

    Build a professional tool room 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 tool room machinist resume.
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
    Tool Room Machinist Resume
  6. Apply for tool room machinist jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a tool room 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 tool room machinist job

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Average tool room machinist salary

The average tool room machinist salary in the United States is $45,143 per year or $22 per hour. Tool room machinist salaries range between $33,000 and $61,000 per year.

Average tool room machinist salary
$45,143 Yearly
$21.70 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do tool room machinists rate their job?

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Tool room machinist reviews

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A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2023
Pros

I love the work. Lots of job satisfaction. Steady work. 45yrs with the same company. I love it!

Cons

Time pressure to complete jobs. Massive overtime!


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A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2020
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.

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.


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A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

Basically you are your own boss. You have a time frame to complete a extensive project and you determine the processes, and how to approach them. I get a really great sense of feeling accomplishment every day. I'm very proud to be a Jouneyman Toolmaker. All the overtime you can handle. Very very great pay.

Cons

Dont even attempt to be in this trade if you cant handle very long hours, and very little sleep at times. Be prepared to miss out on some things socially, as you need to devote serious time that can interfere with things at times.


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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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