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Machinists: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 51-4041.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
10 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Machinists, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 4,000 hours, for FIXTURE MAKER (Light Fix) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| FIXTURE MAKER (Light Fix) | 0198 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| INSTRUMENT MAKER | 0251 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| INSTRUMENT MAKER & REPAIRER | 0254 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| MACHINIST | 0296 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 5,920 to 7,400 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 5,920 hours |
| MACHINIST, AUTOMOTIVE | 0294 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| MACHINIST, EXPERIMENTAL | 0295 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| MACHINIST, OUTSIDE (Ship) | 0300 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| MAINTENANCE MACHINIST | 0306 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| ROCKET MOTOR MECHANIC | 0475 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| TEST TECH (Profess & Kin) | 0483 | Competency-Based: 10,000 hours Hybrid: 10,000 to 12,500 hours Time-Based: 10,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What machinists earn, by state
Hawaii has the highest state median for machinists ($84,410) and Puerto Rico the lowest ($29,280), across the 52 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $84,410 | $40.58 | 260 |
| Alaska | $77,670 | $37.34 | 120 |
| District of Columbia | $72,900 | $35.05 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $67,270 | $32.34 | 7,080 |
| Washington | $66,160 | $31.81 | 6,880 |
| Oregon | $63,820 | $30.68 | 2,760 |
| New Jersey | $63,190 | $30.38 | 3,210 |
| Wyoming | $63,070 | $30.32 | 290 |
| Vermont | $62,680 | $30.14 | 220 |
| Delaware | $62,650 | $30.12 | 310 |
| Connecticut | $62,130 | $29.87 | 5,240 |
| North Dakota | $61,820 | $29.72 | 560 |
| New Hampshire | $61,500 | $29.57 | 1,620 |
| Virginia | $61,290 | $29.47 | 5,660 |
| Utah | $61,280 | $29.46 | 3,810 |
| Minnesota | $61,140 | $29.39 | 12,500 |
| Louisiana | $61,110 | $29.38 | 4,640 |
| Arizona | $61,080 | $29.37 | 4,330 |
| Montana | $60,920 | $29.29 | 630 |
| New York | $60,920 | $29.29 | 9,400 |
| Colorado | $60,200 | $28.94 | 2,800 |
| Maryland | $59,810 | $28.76 | 1,380 |
| New Mexico | $59,440 | $28.58 | 690 |
| Texas | $59,180 | $28.45 | 21,700 |
| Maine | $59,160 | $28.44 | 1,780 |
| Wisconsin | $59,110 | $28.42 | 12,700 |
| Idaho | $58,810 | $28.28 | 1,070 |
| Missouri | $58,710 | $28.23 | 8,380 |
| Kentucky | $58,660 | $28.20 | 6,040 |
| Illinois | $58,520 | $28.13 | 16,520 |
| South Carolina | $57,970 | $27.87 | 3,790 |
| Ohio | $57,940 | $27.86 | 17,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $57,810 | $27.79 | 12,380 |
| Indiana | $57,800 | $27.79 | 14,320 |
| Rhode Island | $57,760 | $27.77 | 860 |
| Iowa | $57,540 | $27.66 | 2,880 |
| California | $57,190 | $27.49 | 18,950 |
| Florida | $57,140 | $27.47 | 8,400 |
| Nebraska | $55,860 | $26.86 | 1,810 |
| Alabama | $55,560 | $26.71 | 5,170 |
| Mississippi | $55,550 | $26.71 | 1,920 |
| North Carolina | $55,230 | $26.56 | 8,330 |
| Nevada | $53,050 | $25.51 | 900 |
| Georgia | $52,610 | $25.29 | 6,090 |
| Michigan | $52,360 | $25.17 | 20,350 |
| Kansas | $51,220 | $24.63 | 3,870 |
| Arkansas | $51,140 | $24.59 | 2,150 |
| Oklahoma | $51,120 | $24.58 | 4,230 |
| South Dakota | $50,890 | $24.47 | 830 |
| Tennessee | $49,600 | $23.85 | 8,270 |
| West Virginia | $47,350 | $22.77 | 1,700 |
| Puerto Rico | $29,280 | $14.08 | 1,250 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).