DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA
51-4041 Machinists
Occupational Description:
Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures. Machinists who primarily program or operate computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment are classified in ?Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators and Programmers? (51-9160).| Percentiles | |||||||||
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| Geography | Employment | Emp SE* | Mean | Mean SE* | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
| Minnesota | 10,980 | 670 | $24.83/hr | $0.27/hr | $16.72/hr | $20.09/hr | $24.58/hr | $29.54/hr | $33.59/hr |
| U S | 383,470 | 3,835 | $22.50/hr | $0.07/hr | $13.63/hr | $16.99/hr | $21.68/hr | $27.28/hr | $32.49/hr |
| *SE = Standard error, a measure of the statistical reliability of the estimate. | |||||||||
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| Occupation (click title for details) | OES | Projections | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | Median Wage | % Change 2023 - 2025 | |
| Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers | 10,860 | $21.03/hr | 0.6% |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | 10,020 | $22.42/hr | 1.5% |
| Mechanical Engineering Technicians | 1,330 | $29.78/hr | 1.7% |
| Millwrights | 1,090 | $27.14/hr | 3.4% |
| Model Makers, Metal and Plastic | 60 | $19.92/hr | -2.0% |
| Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers | N/A | N/A | -1.1% |
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | N/A | N/A | -1.8% |
Tasks for Machinists
- Studies sample parts, blueprints, drawings, and engineering information to determine methods and sequence of operations to fabricate product.
- Assembles parts into completed units, using jigs, fixtures, hand tools, and power tools.
- Calculates and sets controls to regulate machining, or enters commands to retrieve, input, or edit computerized machine control media.
- Measures, examines, and tests completed units to detect defects and ensure conformance to specifications.
- Operates brazing, heat-treating, and welding equipment to cut, solder, and braze metal.
- Cleans, lubricates, and maintains machines, tools, and equipment to remove grease, rust, stains, and foreign matter.
- Cuts and shapes sheet metal and heats and bends metal to specified shape.
- Observes and listens to operating machines or equipment to diagnose machine malfunction and determine need for adjustment or repair.
- Evaluates experimental procedures and recommends changes or modifications for efficiency and adaptability to setup and production.
- Tests experimental models under simulated operating conditions for such purposes as development, standardization, and feasibility of design.
- Designs fixtures, tooling, and experimental parts to meet special engineering needs.
- Confers with engineering, supervisory, and manufacturing personnel to exchange technical information.
- Establishes work procedures for fabricating new structural products, using variety of metalworking machines.
- Installs experimental parts and assemblies, such as hydraulic systems, electrical wiring, lubricants, and batteries into machines and mechanisms.
- Dismantles machine or equipment, using hand tools and power tools, to examine parts for defect or to remove defective parts.
- Installs repaired part into equipment and operates equipment to verify operational efficiency.
- Lays out and verifies dimensions of parts, using precision measuring and marking instruments and knowledge of trigonometry.
- Fabricates, assembles, and modifies tooling, such as jigs, fixtures, templates, and molds or dies to produce parts and assemblies.
- Operates metalworking machine tools, such as lathe, milling machine, shaper, or grinder to machine parts to specifications.
- Selects, aligns, and secures holding fixtures, cutting tools, attachments, accessories, and materials onto machines.
