Machinists Salary
The median pay for a machinists in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO is $61,500/year ($29.57/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 101.13), that's roughly $60,813 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,759/month, about 42.7% of take-home, which is tight.
Where the paycheck goes
What $62K actually covers in Fort Collins-Loveland, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Fort Collins-Loveland’s Regional Price Parity (101.13). 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 Fort Collins-Loveland
Machinists pay in Fort Collins-Loveland tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,759/month, which is 43.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 101.13) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for machinists in metros near Fort Collins-Loveland, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial | $61K | $57K |
| Colorado Springs | $58K | $57K |
| Greeley | $58K | $58K |
| Boulder | $64K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
Entry-level machinists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $29K 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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Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a machinist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Fort Collins-Loveland?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 43.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,759/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for machinists in Fort Collins-Loveland?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new machinists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $3,174/month. At HUD’s $1,759/month FMR, rent would take 55% 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 Fort Collins-Loveland?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does Fort Collins-Loveland compare to the national average for machinists?
Fort Collins-Loveland pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 101.13), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do machinists make in Fort Collins-Loveland, CO?
The median is $61,500 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,460, and experienced machinists can clear $76,950. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Fort Collins-Loveland?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,062/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,759/month, which eats 43.3% 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 Fort Collins-Loveland?
Fort Collins-Loveland has a Regional Price Parity of 101.13 (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 $60,813 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.