Machinist Salary in Los Angeles, CA
Machinists in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area earn a median $55,660 a year — 5% less than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $44,790 take-home, or $3,733 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median machinist salary in Los Angeles, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$4,499
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,451
- Medicare (1.45%)$807
- California income tax$1,389
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$724
- Take-home pay$44,790
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 6.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Machinist pay by experience in Los Angeles, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $36,980 | $17.78 | $30,944 | $2,579 |
| 25th percentile | $44,000 | $21.15 | $36,213 | $3,018 |
| Median (50th) | $55,660 | $26.76 | $44,790 | $3,733 |
| 75th percentile | $65,850 | $31.66 | $52,179 | $4,348 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $80,320 | $38.62 | $61,051 | $5,088 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $55,660 buys in Los Angeles, CA
Prices in Los Angeles, CA are 13.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.70× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median machinist's $44,790 take-home pay has the buying power of $39,440 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Machinist jobs are less concentrated in Los Angeles, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.68), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for machinists, adjusted for cost of living
Los Angeles, CA ranks #22 of 22 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $74,560 | $61,283 | $55,144 |
| 2 | St. Louis, MO | $62,210 | $50,179 | $52,771 |
| 3 | Houston, TX | $61,280 | $51,418 | $52,133 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $72,060 | $56,141 | $51,855 |
| 5 | Cleveland, OH | $58,240 | $48,157 | $51,272 |
| 6 | Virginia Beach, VA | $62,900 | $49,918 | $50,967 |
| 7 | Hartford, CT | $64,320 | $51,892 | $50,505 |
| 8 | Milwaukee, WI | $60,320 | $48,774 | $50,315 |
| 22 | Los Angeles, CA | $55,660 | $44,790 | $39,440 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 22 metros →
About the job: machinists
Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. 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).
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +1.0% (slower than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a machinist make in Los Angeles, CA?
The median machinist salary in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area is $55,660 a year, or about $26.76 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $44,000 and $65,850.
What is a machinist’s take-home pay in Los Angeles, CA?
On the median $55,660 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $44,790 a year ($3,733 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,113 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Los Angeles, CA a good place to work as a machinist?
Pay here is 5% below the national median of $58,750. Local prices are 13.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $39,440 would in a typical U.S. city. Los Angeles, CA ranks #22 of 22 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a machinist afford rent in Los Angeles, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Los Angeles, CA is $2,245 a month ($2,755 for two bedrooms) — 60% of a median machinist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Los Angeles, CA
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $74,740
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $56,160
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator — $54,980
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — $54,870
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $51,560
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $48,640
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $47,960
- Cabinetmaker and Bench Carpenter — $47,960
- Dental Laboratory Technician — $46,460
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $46,420
- Printing Press Operator — $46,200
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $46,190