occupation · 51-4041 · California
Machinists in California
Machinists earned a median annual wage of $56,220 in California in May 2024, with 21,580 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
What stands out
Machinists earned a median annual wage of $56,220 in California in May 2024, with 21,580 people employed, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The lowest-paid tenth earned $36,370 or less, the best-paid tenth $86,060 or more. Since May 2020 the median moved from $46,580 to $56,220, +20.7 %. Among the 52 states with data, California ranks 28 by median wage for this occupation. The national median is $56,150; California is +0.1 % against it. Wages are as published by BLS for May of each year; '≥ $239,200' is BLS's top code for May 2024 (the cap changes by year). Every value links to its fact record.
California, year by year
Annual wages at the median, mean and four percentiles; employment is the May estimate.
| Reference | Employment | Median | Mean | 10th | 25th | 75th | 90th | Median hourly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | 21,580 | $56,220 | $60,050 | $36,370 | $44,770 | $72,610 | $86,060 | $27.03 | evidence → |
| May 2023 | 20,500 | $58,740 | $60,280 | $38,240 | $45,850 | $71,670 | $83,870 | $28.24 | evidence → |
| May 2022 | 29,710 | $51,080 | $55,800 | $36,200 | $41,760 | $63,230 | $80,440 | $24.56 | evidence → |
| May 2021 | 29,810 | $48,020 | $52,040 | $31,130 | $38,010 | $60,940 | $78,310 | $23.09 | evidence → |
| May 2020 | 34,730 | $46,580 | $49,900 | $29,870 | $35,290 | $61,490 | $77,100 | $22.40 | evidence → |
Metropolitan areas in California
Median annual wage for this occupation, May 2024.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $66,320 | 2,000 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $63,650 | 2,430 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $62,870 | 1,830 |
| Vallejo, CA | $59,730 | 150 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $57,210 | 180 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $57,160 | 160 |
| Chico, CA | $56,000 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $55,760 | 610 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $55,130 | 240 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $54,690 | 300 |
| Yuba City, CA | $54,440 | 40 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $52,790 | 590 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $52,500 | 70 |
| Modesto, CA | $51,670 | 120 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $50,610 | 8,820 |
| Fresno, CA | $49,670 | 370 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $49,620 | 1,960 |
| Visalia, CA | $48,120 | 160 |
| Redding, CA | $47,770 | 60 |
| Salinas, CA | $46,900 | 110 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $46,900 | 230 |
| Merced, CA | $45,690 | 40 |
Machine access — free, no API key
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