Machinists Salary
The median pay for a machinists in Michigan is $52,360/year ($25.17/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $75K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.89), which stretches that salary to about $55,767 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,272/month, about 37% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Michigan. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $52K get you in Michigan?
About machinists
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What this looks like in Michigan
Pay for machinists in Michigan runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $59K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,272/month, which is 36.4% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.89 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for machinistss.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Michigan
Entry-level machinists (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $52K. Top earners bring in $75K or more, a $37K spread from bottom to top.
Machinists salary by metro in Michigan
15 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flint | $63K | +20% | 350 |
| Monroe | $60K | +15% | 210 |
| Lansing-East Lansing | $60K | +14% | 750 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $59K | +13% | 7,680 |
| Ann Arbor | $56K | +6% | 290 |
| Midland | $55K | +6% | 50 |
| Bay City | $53K | +1% | 200 |
| Saginaw | $52K | +0% | 650 |
| Niles | $50K | -4% | 530 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $50K | -4% | 3,460 |
| Jackson | $50K | -5% | 650 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $49K | -6% | 640 |
| Traverse City | $49K | -6% | 260 |
| Battle Creek | $49K | -7% | 240 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores | $48K | -8% | 530 |
Showing 1–10 of 15 metros
Compare to other states
Track machinists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Michigan numbers change.
Related careers in Production & Manufacturing
Frequently asked questions
Can a machinist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Michigan?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $52K, rent takes 36.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,272/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 Michigan?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new machinists typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,302/month. At HUD’s $1,272/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 Michigan?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $52K here vs. $59K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Michigan compare to the national average for machinists?
Michigan pays $52K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.89), the purchasing-power equivalent is $56K — below the national median.
How much do machinists make in Michigan?
The median is $52,360 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,370, and experienced machinists can clear $75,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $52K enough to live in Michigan?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,490/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,272/month, which eats 36.4% 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 Michigan?
Michigan has a Regional Price Parity of 93.89 (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 $55,767 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.