Pay by state · 52 areas
Machinist Salary by State (2026)
Machinists earn the most in Hawaii at $84,410 a year and the least in West Virginia at $47,350 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $58,750. The table below covers all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $84,410Hawaii
- National median
- $58,750BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $47,350West Virginia
- Areas reporting
- 52of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for machinists
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1Hawaii$84,410
- 2Alaska$77,670
- 3District of Columbia$72,900
- 4Massachusetts$67,270
- 5Washington$66,160
Lowest median pay
- 1West Virginia$47,350
- 2Tennessee$49,600
- 3South Dakota$50,890
- 4Oklahoma$51,120
- 5Arkansas$51,140
All states
Machinist salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of machinists OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HIHawaii | $84,410 | $63,380 | $92,750 | 260 | $76,771 |
| 2 | AKAlaska | $77,670 | $63,360 | $96,640 | 120 | $75,880 |
| 3 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $72,900 | $56,570 | $72,900 | 160 | $66,332 |
| 4 | MAMassachusetts | $67,270 | $57,690 | $78,640 | 7,080 | $63,608 |
| 5 | WAWashington | $66,160 | $58,760 | $80,340 | 6,880 | $61,824 |
| 6 | OROregon | $63,820 | $52,930 | $76,070 | 2,760 | $61,745 |
| 7 | NJNew Jersey | $63,190 | $51,110 | $79,330 | 3,210 | $58,076 |
| 8 | WYWyoming | $63,070 | $47,090 | $78,990 | 290 | $68,043 |
| 9 | VTVermont | $62,680 | $47,650 | $78,260 | 220 | $63,987 |
| 10 | DEDelaware | $62,650 | $48,310 | $75,500 | 310 | $62,771 |
| 11 | CTConnecticut | $62,130 | $49,900 | $76,040 | 5,240 | $59,965 |
| 12 | NDNorth Dakota | $61,820 | $49,300 | $74,670 | 560 | $69,493 |
| 13 | NHNew Hampshire | $61,500 | $49,840 | $71,980 | 1,620 | $59,041 |
| 14 | VAVirginia | $61,290 | $49,900 | $71,470 | 5,660 | $60,621 |
| 15 | UTUtah | $61,280 | $49,920 | $74,390 | 3,810 | $61,984 |
| 16 | MNMinnesota | $61,140 | $50,320 | $74,650 | 12,500 | $61,995 |
| 17 | LALouisiana | $61,110 | $49,030 | $75,170 | 4,640 | $69,280 |
| 18 | AZArizona | $61,080 | $48,890 | $66,460 | 4,330 | $60,669 |
| 19 | MTMontana | $60,920 | $48,030 | $68,760 | 630 | $64,367 |
| 20 | NYNew York | $60,920 | $48,040 | $74,180 | 9,400 | $56,449 |
| 21 | COColorado | $60,200 | $49,170 | $74,110 | 2,800 | $58,417 |
| 22 | MDMaryland | $59,810 | $47,530 | $74,290 | 1,380 | $56,984 |
| 23 | NMNew Mexico | $59,440 | $46,300 | $72,690 | 690 | $64,460 |
| 24 | TXTexas | $59,180 | $47,630 | $69,800 | 21,700 | $60,974 |
| 25 | MEMaine | $59,160 | $50,090 | $72,640 | 1,780 | $60,958 |
| 26 | WIWisconsin | $59,110 | $48,430 | $63,350 | 12,700 | $62,819 |
| 27 | IDIdaho | $58,810 | $47,630 | $71,070 | 1,070 | $61,585 |
| 28 | MOMissouri | $58,710 | $48,880 | $72,540 | 8,380 | $64,646 |
| 29 | KYKentucky | $58,660 | $48,560 | $71,530 | 6,040 | $65,063 |
| 30 | ILIllinois | $58,520 | $46,380 | $65,620 | 16,520 | $58,545 |
| 31 | SCSouth Carolina | $57,970 | $46,970 | $65,290 | 3,790 | $61,835 |
| 32 | OHOhio | $57,940 | $46,460 | $64,050 | 17,110 | $62,453 |
| 33 | PAPennsylvania | $57,810 | $47,410 | $63,700 | 12,380 | $59,249 |
| 34 | INIndiana | $57,800 | $47,870 | $62,440 | 14,320 | $61,931 |
| 35 | RIRhode Island | $57,760 | $49,320 | $71,820 | 860 | $56,472 |
| 36 | IAIowa | $57,540 | $49,190 | $61,530 | 2,880 | $65,564 |
| 37 | CACalifornia | $57,190 | $46,360 | $74,210 | 18,950 | $51,653 |
| 38 | FLFlorida | $57,140 | $47,300 | $63,860 | 8,400 | $55,254 |
| 39 | NENebraska | $55,860 | $45,600 | $67,430 | 1,810 | $61,996 |
| 40 | ALAlabama | $55,560 | $46,340 | $66,190 | 5,170 | $62,551 |
| 41 | MSMississippi | $55,550 | $43,270 | $63,330 | 1,920 | $63,885 |
| 42 | NCNorth Carolina | $55,230 | $45,300 | $62,680 | 8,330 | $58,552 |
| 43 | NVNevada | $53,050 | $46,090 | $62,830 | 900 | $53,061 |
| 44 | GAGeorgia | $52,610 | $43,480 | $64,180 | 6,090 | $54,635 |
| 45 | MIMichigan | $52,360 | $46,260 | $62,300 | 20,350 | $54,419 |
| 46 | KSKansas | $51,220 | $45,050 | $61,450 | 3,870 | $56,868 |
| 47 | ARArkansas | $51,140 | $45,280 | $61,380 | 2,150 | $58,824 |
| 48 | OKOklahoma | $51,120 | $45,670 | $62,050 | 4,230 | $58,195 |
| 49 | SDSouth Dakota | $50,890 | $46,280 | $58,750 | 830 | $57,447 |
| 50 | TNTennessee | $49,600 | $43,200 | $61,220 | 8,270 | $53,989 |
| 51 | WVWest Virginia | $47,350 | $39,180 | $59,910 | 1,700 | $52,907 |
| 52 | PRPuerto Rico | $29,280 | $23,600 | $38,040 | 1,250 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For machinists, the adjustment does not change the leader: Hawaii is first on raw pay and still first once prices are taken into account, at $76,771.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Machinist pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays machinists the most?
Hawaii reports the highest median wage for machinists at $84,410 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Alaska ($77,670) and District of Columbia ($72,900).
Which state pays machinists the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, West Virginia reports the lowest median for machinists at $47,350 a year, $37,060 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Puerto Rico reports $29,280.
Is the highest-paying state the best for machinists after cost of living?
Yes. Hawaii stays first after dividing each state median by its BEA Regional Price Parity, at $76,771 in national-average dollars from a raw $84,410. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.