What Does a Machinist Do?
Machinists turn bars of steel, aluminum and bronze into the shafts, bushings and brackets that keep pumps, fans and lab equipment running, often copying a part its maker stopped selling years ago. The work happens at manual lathes, mills and grinders in factories, plant maintenance shops and university research labs. Most jobs are measured in thousandths of an inch.
Also known as: Senior Machinist, Maintenance Machinist, Research Machinist
Machinist Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a machinist include:
- Read blueprints and sketches to plan the order of cuts and set up each job.
- Set up and run manual lathes, mills, drill presses and surface grinders.
- Repair worn shafts, bushings, gears and pump parts for building and plant equipment.
- Fabricate brackets, fixtures and replacement parts that are no longer sold by the maker.
- Measure work with micrometers, calipers and dial indicators to confirm tolerances.
- Grind and sharpen drills, lathe tools and cutters to keep work accurate.
- Weld, braze or tap parts as a repair requires.
- Balance and align rotating equipment such as fans and motors after repairs.
- Keep machines oiled, clean and adjusted, and report problems before they cause breakdowns.
- Record time and materials on work orders for maintenance or research billing.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a machinist, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Manual lathe and mill setup
- Blueprint reading and shop math
- Precision measurement tools
- Basic welding and brazing
- Knowledge of steels, aluminum and bronze
- Mechanical troubleshooting on pumps and drives
- Safe work habits around rotating machinery
- Steady hands and patience for fine adjustments
Education and Training
A high school diploma is the usual starting point, followed by an apprenticeship or a long stretch of training on the job beside experienced machinists. A machining certificate from a community college or technical school is another way into a first shop job. NIMS credentials show employers which machines and operations you have already been tested on. Later moves include CNC programming and quality inspection.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $47,570 - $67,700 per year, with a median of $58,750.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Machinists.
BLS projects employment of machinists to grow about 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 26,100 openings a year. In fact, most of those openings will come from the need to replace machinists who retire or leave, according to BLS. Bear in mind that you are more likely to be hired if you can run both manual and CNC machines.
Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Machinists.