Machinists Salary
The median pay for a machinists in Lake Charles, LA is $75,580/year ($36.34/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $108K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 85.85), which stretches that salary to about $88,037 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,217/month, or 24.5% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $76K get you in Lake Charles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lake Charles’s Regional Price Parity (85.85). 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 Lake Charles
Lake Charles sits well above the national pay line for machinists, local pay runs about 29% higher than the U.S. median of $59K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,217/month, 24.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 85.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 14% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Lake Charles offers a genuinely strong financial position for machinistss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for machinists in metros near Lake Charles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Lafayette | $60K | $69K |
| Baton Rouge | $68K | $75K |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux | $56K | $65K |
| New Orleans-Metairie | $67K | $72K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lake Charles, LA
Entry-level machinists (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $108K or more, a $61K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Lake Charles numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a machinist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Lake Charles?
Yes — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 24.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,217/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for machinists in Lake Charles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new machinists typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,810/month. At HUD’s $1,217/month FMR, rent would take 43% 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 Lake Charles?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $76K here vs. $59K nationally.
How does Lake Charles compare to the national average for machinists?
Lake Charles pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 85.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $88K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do machinists make in Lake Charles, LA?
The median is $75,580 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,830, and experienced machinists can clear $108,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Lake Charles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,910/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,217/month, which eats 24.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a machinists salary go in Lake Charles?
Lake Charles has a Regional Price Parity of 85.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median machinists salary is worth about $88,037 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.