Machinists Salary
The median pay for a machinists in Chico, CA is $46,580/year ($22.39/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $116K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.2), that's roughly $46,028 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,625/month, about 50.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $47K get you in Chico?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chico’s Regional Price Parity (101.2). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About machinists
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What this looks like in Chico
Pay for machinists in Chico runs about 21% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,625/month, which is 50.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.2) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for machinistss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for machinists in metros near Chico, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $56K | $49K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $61K | $55K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $49K | $46K |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $68K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chico, CA
Entry-level machinists (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $47K. Top earners bring in $116K or more, a $79K spread from bottom to top.
Machinists pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Machinists salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $84K | +44% | 260 |
| Alaska | $78K | +32% | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $73K | +24% | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $67K | +15% | 7,080 |
| Washington | $66K | +13% | 6,880 |
| Oregon | $64K | +9% | 2,760 |
| New Jersey | $63K | +8% | 3,210 |
| Wyoming | $63K | +7% | 290 |
| Vermont | $63K | +7% | 220 |
| Delaware | $63K | +7% | 310 |
| Connecticut | $62K | +6% | 5,240 |
| North Dakota | $62K | +5% | 560 |
| New Hampshire | $62K | +5% | 1,620 |
| Virginia | $61K | +4% | 5,660 |
| Utah | $61K | +4% | 3,810 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +4% | 12,500 |
| Louisiana | $61K | +4% | 4,640 |
| Arizona | $61K | +4% | 4,330 |
| New York | $61K | +4% | 9,400 |
| Montana | $61K | +4% | 630 |
| Colorado | $60K | +2% | 2,800 |
| Maryland | $60K | +2% | 1,380 |
| New Mexico | $59K | +1% | 690 |
| Texas | $59K | +1% | 21,700 |
| Maine | $59K | +1% | 1,780 |
| Wisconsin | $59K | +1% | 12,700 |
| Idaho | $59K | +0% | 1,070 |
| Missouri | $59K | -0% | 8,380 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -0% | 6,040 |
| Illinois | $59K | -0% | 16,520 |
| South Carolina | $58K | -1% | 3,790 |
| Ohio | $58K | -1% | 17,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $58K | -2% | 12,380 |
| Indiana | $58K | -2% | 14,320 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | -2% | 860 |
| Iowa | $58K | -2% | 2,880 |
| California | $57K | -3% | 18,950 |
| Florida | $57K | -3% | 8,400 |
| Nebraska | $56K | -5% | 1,810 |
| Alabama | $56K | -5% | 5,170 |
| Mississippi | $56K | -5% | 1,920 |
| North Carolina | $55K | -6% | 8,330 |
| Nevada | $53K | -10% | 900 |
| Georgia | $53K | -10% | 6,090 |
| Michigan | $52K | -11% | 20,350 |
| Kansas | $51K | -13% | 3,870 |
| Arkansas | $51K | -13% | 2,150 |
| Oklahoma | $51K | -13% | 4,230 |
| South Dakota | $51K | -13% | 830 |
| Tennessee | $50K | -16% | 8,270 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -19% | 1,700 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track machinists salary changes
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Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a machinist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chico?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $47K, rent takes 50.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,625/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for machinists in Chico?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new machinists typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,236/month. At HUD’s $1,625/month FMR, rent would take 73% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is machinist a high-paying job in Chico?
Local pay runs 21% below the national median — $47K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Chico compare to the national average for machinists?
Chico pays $47K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.2), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do machinists make in Chico, CA?
The median is $46,580 a year, that works out to about $22 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $37,270, and experienced machinists can clear $116,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $47K enough to live in Chico?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,198/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,625/month, which eats 50.8% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a machinists salary go in Chico?
Chico has a Regional Price Parity of 101.2 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median machinists salary is worth about $46,028 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do machinists get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.