Machinists Salary
The median pay for a machinists in Virginia is $61,290/year ($29.47/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $45K at the entry level to $86K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $64,659 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 40.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Virginia?
About machinists
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What this looks like in Virginia
Machinists pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $61K locally vs. $59K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 40.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level machinists (10th percentile) start around $45K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $86K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Machinists salary by metro in Virginia
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $63K | +3% | 2,350 |
| Richmond | $63K | +2% | 650 |
| Lynchburg | $61K | -0% | 480 |
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $60K | -1% | 130 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $60K | -2% | 230 |
| Charlottesville | $56K | -9% | 50 |
| Roanoke | $52K | -15% | 290 |
| Harrisonburg | $50K | -19% | 60 |
| Winchester | $49K | -20% | 100 |
Compare to other states
Track machinists salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a machinist afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 40.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new machinists typically earn — is $45K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,707/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 61% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $61K locally vs. $59K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for machinists?
Virginia pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $59K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do machinists make in Virginia?
The median is $61,290 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $45,120, and experienced machinists can clear $86,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,023/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 40.9% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $64,659 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.