Machinist Salary in Philadelphia, PA
Machinists in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area earn a median $61,280 a year — 4% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $49,537 take-home, or $4,128 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median machinist salary in Philadelphia, PA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,174
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,799
- Medicare (1.45%)$889
- Pennsylvania income tax$1,881
- Take-home pay$49,537
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 3.07% state
Living in Philadelphia? City residents also pay Philadelphia’s Resident Wage Tax — about $2,292 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $47,245 ($3,937 a month). Choose “Philadelphia” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro spans Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland. Pick the state you live in — state income tax follows your residence.
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Machinist pay by experience in Philadelphia, PA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $43,480 | $20.90 | $35,781 | $2,982 |
| 25th percentile | $49,270 | $23.69 | $40,256 | $3,355 |
| Median (50th) | $61,280 | $29.46 | $49,537 | $4,128 |
| 75th percentile | $72,810 | $35.00 | $57,817 | $4,818 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $81,020 | $38.95 | $63,340 | $5,278 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Pennsylvania resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $61,280 buys in Philadelphia, PA
Prices in Philadelphia, PA are 2.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.13× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median machinist's $49,537 take-home pay has the buying power of $48,304 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 Philadelphia, PA than nationally (location quotient 0.62), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for machinists, adjusted for cost of living
Philadelphia, PA ranks #13 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 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $61,280 | $49,537 | $48,304 |
*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.
Machinist salaries elsewhere in Pennsylvania
- Pittsburgh, PA — $55,880
Frequently asked questions
How much does a machinist make in Philadelphia, PA?
The median machinist salary in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area is $61,280 a year, or about $29.46 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $49,270 and $72,810.
What is a machinist’s take-home pay in Philadelphia, PA?
On the median $61,280 salary, a single filer living in Pennsylvania takes home about $49,537 a year ($4,128 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,881 in Pennsylvania taxes in 2026.
Is Philadelphia, PA a good place to work as a machinist?
Pay here is 4% above the national median of $58,750. Local prices are 2.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $48,304 would in a typical U.S. city. Philadelphia, PA ranks #13 of 22 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a machinist afford rent in Philadelphia, PA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Philadelphia, PA is $1,520 a month ($1,810 for two bedrooms) — 37% of a median machinist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Philadelphia, PA
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $79,520
- Chemical Equipment Operator and Tender — $60,410
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $58,380
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $51,990
- Printing Press Operator — $48,610
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers — $47,570
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender — $44,340
- Production Workers, All Other — $42,760
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $42,240
- Baker — $37,770
- Food Batchmaker — $37,010
- Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Worker — $34,730