Tool room machinist vs outside machinist

The differences between tool room machinists and outside machinists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a tool room machinist and an outside machinist. Additionally, a tool room machinist has an average salary of $45,143, which is higher than the $42,858 average annual salary of an outside machinist.

The top three skills for a tool room machinist include jigs, grinders and hand tools. The most important skills for an outside machinist are hand tools, calipers, and condensers.

Tool room machinist vs outside machinist overview

	Tool Room Machinist	Outside Machinist
Yearly salary	$45,143	$42,858
Hourly rate	$21.70	$20.60
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	41,699	24,075
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 36%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Tool room machinist vs outside machinist salary

Tool room machinists and outside machinists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tool Room Machinist	Outside Machinist
Average salary	$45,143	$42,858
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $61,000	Between $32,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	-	Bremerton, WA
Highest paying state	-	Alaska
Best paying company	-	Oceaneering
Best paying industry	-	Energy

Differences between tool room machinist and outside machinist education

There are a few differences between a tool room machinist and an outside machinist in terms of educational background:

	Tool Room Machinist	Outside Machinist
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 36%	High School Diploma, 36%
Most common major	Precision Metal Working	Business
Most common college	-	-

Tool room machinist vs outside machinist demographics

Here are the differences between tool room machinists' and outside machinists' demographics:

	Tool Room Machinist	Outside Machinist
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 97.9% Female, 2.1%	Male, 95.7% Female, 4.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 10.9% Asian, 7.2% White, 72.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.4% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 6.7% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between tool room machinist and outside machinist duties and responsibilities

Tool room machinist example 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.

Outside machinist example 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.

Tool room machinist vs outside machinist skills

Common tool room machinist skills

Jigs, 12%
Grinders, 11%
Hand Tools, 10%
Calipers, 9%
Micrometers, 8%
Machine Tools, 7%

Common outside machinist skills

Hand Tools, 15%
Calipers, 8%
Condensers, 6%
Shipyard, 5%
Evaporators, 5%
Ladders, 4%

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Tool Room Machinist
Tool Room Machinist vs Outside Machinist

Updated January 8, 2025

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