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Tool specialist salary
Average tool specialist salary
$84,797
Understanding Tool Specialist Salaries
A Tool Specialist plays a vital role in maintaining and optimizing tools across various sectors, including manufacturing, construction, and automotive. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position stands at $84,797 per year. This figure may vary significantly based on geographic location, years of experience, and specific industry demands.
Salary Variations by Experience
Entry-level Tool Specialists can expect to earn less, while those with several years of experience may see salaries exceeding $100,000. Additionally, specialized certifications can lead to higher pay.
Geographic Influence on Salaries
Regions with a high concentration of manufacturing plants or construction projects often offer higher salaries. For example, Tool Specialists in states like California and Texas typically enjoy better compensation compared to those in less industrialized states.
Career Opportunities
With the increasing reliance on advanced tools and technology, the demand for skilled Tool Specialists is projected to grow. Exploring job opportunities in this field not only promises competitive salaries but also career stability and growth.
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Where can a Tool Specialist earn more?
Tool specialist salaries by experience level
Average tool specialist salary by state
The average tool specialist salary in California, Indiana, and Alaska are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average tool specialist salary states are Florida, Hawaii, and New Mexico.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for tool specialists
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $98,361 | $47.29 |
| 2 | Indiana | $101,588 | $48.84 |
| 3 | Nevada | $94,101 | $45.24 |
| 4 | Wisconsin | $91,855 | $44.16 |
| 5 | Alaska | $101,280 | $48.69 |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $91,323 | $43.91 |
| 7 | North Dakota | $92,135 | $44.30 |
| 8 | Arizona | $88,757 | $42.67 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $91,365 | $43.93 |
| 10 | Nebraska | $87,065 | $41.86 |
| 11 | Vermont | $88,452 | $42.52 |
| 12 | Delaware | $88,974 | $42.78 |
| 13 | Mississippi | $95,232 | $45.78 |
| 14 | Georgia | $91,043 | $43.77 |
| 15 | California | $105,958 | $50.94 |
| 16 | Iowa | $84,799 | $40.77 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $87,005 | $41.83 |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $88,720 | $42.65 |
| 19 | Idaho | $87,609 | $42.12 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $92,874 | $44.65 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $86,926 | $41.79 |
| 22 | New York | $88,213 | $42.41 |
| 23 | Alabama | $81,941 | $39.39 |
| 24 | New Jersey | $91,420 | $43.95 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $88,674 | $42.63 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $86,893 | $41.78 |
| 27 | Washington | $90,959 | $43.73 |
| 28 | Michigan | $80,256 | $38.58 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $79,451 | $38.20 |
| 30 | Virginia | $87,478 | $42.06 |
| 31 | Kansas | $79,024 | $37.99 |
| 32 | West Virginia | $81,643 | $39.25 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $76,477 | $36.77 |
| 34 | Maine | $83,333 | $40.06 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $77,386 | $37.20 |
| 36 | Missouri | $83,042 | $39.92 |
| 37 | Oregon | $80,429 | $38.67 |
| 38 | Illinois | $82,817 | $39.82 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $88,644 | $42.62 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $72,426 | $34.82 |
| 41 | Florida | $72,808 | $35.00 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $73,395 | $35.29 |
| 43 | Minnesota | $82,584 | $39.70 |
| 44 | Maryland | $78,259 | $37.62 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $69,686 | $33.50 |
| 46 | Montana | $74,856 | $35.99 |
| 47 | Texas | $71,921 | $34.58 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $74,221 | $35.68 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $72,153 | $34.69 |
| 50 | Ohio | $68,505 | $32.94 |
| 51 | Colorado | $75,123 | $36.12 |
Highest paying cities for tool specialists
The highest-paying cities for tool specialists are San Francisco, CA, Indianapolis, IN, and Milford, MA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $113,508 | $54.57 |
| 2 | Indianapolis, IN | $101,678 | $48.88 |
| 3 | Milford, MA | $93,061 | $44.74 |
| 4 | Philadelphia, PA | $91,900 | $44.18 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $91,478 | $43.98 |
| 6 | Hackensack, NJ | $91,280 | $43.88 |
| 7 | Atlanta, GA | $90,752 | $43.63 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $88,888 | $42.73 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $88,586 | $42.59 |
| 10 | Hartford, CT | $88,530 | $42.56 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $87,412 | $42.02 |
| 12 | Lincoln, NE | $87,171 | $41.91 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $83,170 | $39.99 |
| 14 | Minneapolis, MN | $82,632 | $39.73 |
| 15 | Kansas City, MO | $82,432 | $39.63 |
| 16 | Birmingham, AL | $81,249 | $39.06 |
| 17 | Detroit, MI | $80,527 | $38.71 |
| 18 | Colorado Springs, CO | $76,008 | $36.54 |
| 19 | North Charleston, SC | $74,027 | $35.59 |
| 20 | Charlotte, NC | $72,662 | $34.93 |
Tool specialist salary details
A tool specialist's salary ranges from $62,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a tool specialist's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| Average | $84,797 | $7,066 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
Highest paying tool specialist jobs
The highest paying types of tool specialists are tool engineer, tool designer, and jig builder.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mold Maker | $48,841 | $4,070 | $23.48 | 13,896 |
| Tool And Die Designer | $45,993 | $3,833 | $22.11 | 52,308 |
| Tool And Die Maker | $52,956 | $4,413 | $25.46 | 18,971 |
| Tool Engineer | $101,135 | $8,428 | $48.62 | 98,936 |
| Tool Maker | $52,443 | $4,370 | $25.21 | 18,166 |
| Tool Designer | $64,763 | $5,397 | $31.14 | 51,666 |
Top companies hiring tool specialists now:
Which companies pay tool specialists the most?
Tool specialist salaries at GoPro and Ensign Energy are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average tool specialist salary at companies like Waters and Tesla are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GoPro | $113,947 | $54.78 |
| 2 | Ensign Energy | $108,812 | $52.31 |
| 3 | Waters | $100,971 | $48.54 |
| 4 | Tesla | $99,935 | $48.05 |
| 5 | Lucid Motors | $97,172 | $46.72 |
| 6 | TRW Automotive Holdings | $96,488 | $46.39 |
| 7 | Bain & Company | $95,756 | $46.04 |
| 8 | Amdocs | $92,337 | $44.39 |
| 9 | VIVA USA | $90,377 | $43.45 |
| 10 | Saint-Gobain | $89,110 | $42.84 |
| 11 | Saama Technologies Inc. | $86,762 | $41.71 |
| 12 | Whirlpool | $86,354 | $41.52 |
| 13 | The Daniel Group | $85,692 | $41.20 |
| 14 | U.S. Bank | $85,180 | $40.95 |
| 15 | Mars | $84,193 | $40.48 |
| 16 | Triple-S | $83,313 | $40.05 |
| 17 | SoundCloud | $83,165 | $39.98 |
| 18 | Accenture | $82,893 | $39.85 |
| 19 | Thales | $82,585 | $39.70 |
| 20 | Northrop Grumman | $82,538 | $39.68 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Tool Specialist salary by industry
The average tool specialist salary varies across industries:
- The average tool specialist salary in the automotive industry is $97,425, the highest of any industry.
- The average tool specialist salary in the finance industry is $92,650.
- Tool specialists in the retail industry earn an average salary of $72,102, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for tool specialists
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $97,425 | $46.84 |
| 2 | Energy | $92,650 | $44.54 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $83,606 | $40.20 |
| 4 | Technology | $82,140 | $39.49 |
| 5 | Retail | $72,102 | $34.66 |
High paying tool specialist jobs
Tool specialist salary trends
The average tool specialist salary has risen by $12,559 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average tool specialist earned $72,238 annually, but today, they earn $84,797 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for tool specialists over the last decade.
Compare tool specialist salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average tool specialist salary over time
Compare tool specialist salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Tool specialist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $84,800 | $40.77 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | $83,500 | $40.14 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | $81,700 | $39.27 | +0.5% |
| 2022 | $81,300 | $39.07 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $79,100 | $38.01 | +1.5% |
Recently added tool specialist salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adecco Us, Inc. | Mechanical Design & Tooling Specialist-Direct | Hooksett, NH | 06/30/2025 | $93,811 |
| Howmet Holdings Corporation | Tooling Specialist-2Nd Shift | Fullerton, CA | 06/29/2025 | $47,438 |
| Sunbelt Rentals | Industrial Tool Specialist | Forest Park, GA | 06/25/2025 | $42,000 |
| Sunbelt Rentals | Industrial Tool Specialist | Cape Canaveral, FL | 06/25/2025 | $42,000 |
| Lucid Motors | SR. PLM Tools Specialist | Casa Grande, AZ | 06/09/2025 | $120,000 |
| Peopleready | Die Tooling Specialist | Chippewa Falls, WI | 05/31/2025 | $35,479 |
| United Airlines | Tool Room Utility Specialist-Line | Chicago, IL | 05/29/2025 | $41,239 |
| Morgan Stanley | Alteryx & Digital Tools Specialist, Finance Associate | Baltimore, MD | 05/26/2025 | $65,000 |
| Howmet Holdings Corporation | Tooling Specialist III | Torrance, CA | 05/26/2025 | $48,001 |
| Egan Company | Warehouse Tool Specialist | Champlin, MN | 05/25/2025 | $45,580 |
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