Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Machinist Salary in Columbus
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Metalwork · COL Index: 93
Machinists in Columbus, OH earn a median annual wage of $52,790 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $37,900 and the 90th at $74,810. After cost of living, that translates to $56,763 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: D (47/100).
What Machinists Take Home in Columbus
The $36,910 spread between entry-level and top-decile machinists in Columbus is around 70% of the median — a typical range for skilled trades. Workers can roughly double their entry pay through a combination of experience, certifications, union membership, and moving from helper to journeyman to foreman roles.
Columbus's cost-of-living index of 93 sits below the U.S. average, so the $52,790 median wage for machinists here actually translates upward — to roughly $56,763 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Below-average rent, groceries, and services mean wages tend to go further here than nominal numbers suggest.
With a Trade Pay Score of 47 (D), this trade-city pairing is below average. That typically reflects either weak nominal wages, sluggish 5-year wage growth, a high cost of living that hollows out real pay, or some combination. Workers should examine both the per-trade page (other cities for the same trade) and the per-city page (other trades in the same metro) to find a stronger fit.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $37,900 | $40,753 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $46,220 | $49,699 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $52,790 | $56,763 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $62,020 | $66,688 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $74,810 | $80,441 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for machinists, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Columbus are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Machinist make in Columbus?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median machinist salary in Columbus, OH is $52,790. The 10th percentile is $37,900 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $74,810 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Columbus pay compare for Machinists?
With a Trade Pay Score of 47/100 and a grade of D, the Columbus-Machinist pairing is below average — workers should consider whether a different metro for the same trade might deliver a higher grade.
What is the apprenticeship path for Machinists in Columbus?
Machinists typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($37,900) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Machinist pay in Columbus?
Columbus has a cost-of-living index of 93. The median machinist salary of $52,790 translates to $56,763 in U.S.-average purchasing power — an upward adjustment because the metro is less expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Other High-Paying Trades in Columbus
$101,380 median · Grade B
$90,090 median · Grade C
$79,810 median · Grade B
$79,810 median · Grade B
$75,000 median · Grade C
$73,760 median · Grade C
Machinists in Columbus, OH earn a median annual wage of $52,790 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $37,900 and the 90th at $74,810. After cost of living, that translates to $56,763 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: D (47/100).
For Machinists in Columbus, OH, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for Machinists in Columbus, OH is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.