Machinist Salary in St. Louis, MO
Machinists in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area earn a median $62,210 a year — 6% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $50,179 take-home, or $4,182 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median machinist salary in St. Louis, MO. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,285
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,857
- Medicare (1.45%)$902
- Missouri income tax$1,987
- Take-home pay$50,179
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.70% state
Living in St. Louis? City residents also pay St. Louis’s Earnings Tax — about $622 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $49,557 ($4,130 a month). Choose “St. Louis” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
The St. Louis, MO-IL metro spans Missouri, Illinois. 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 St. Louis, MO
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $47,230 | $22.71 | $38,847 | $3,237 |
| 25th percentile | $55,630 | $26.75 | $45,201 | $3,767 |
| Median (50th) | $62,210 | $29.91 | $50,179 | $4,182 |
| 75th percentile | $72,540 | $34.88 | $57,390 | $4,782 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $89,950 | $43.25 | $68,820 | $5,735 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Missouri resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $62,210 buys in St. Louis, MO
Prices in St. Louis, MO are 4.9% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 21% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median machinist's $50,179 take-home pay has the buying power of $52,771 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
St. Louis, MO has 2.3× the national concentration of machinist jobs — a strong local market for this occupation.
Best-paying cities for machinists, adjusted for cost of living
St. Louis, MO ranks #2 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 |
*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 St. Louis, MO?
The median machinist salary in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area is $62,210 a year, or about $29.91 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $55,630 and $72,540.
What is a machinist’s take-home pay in St. Louis, MO?
On the median $62,210 salary, a single filer living in Missouri takes home about $50,179 a year ($4,182 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $1,987 in Missouri taxes in 2026.
Is St. Louis, MO a good place to work as a machinist?
Pay here is 6% above the national median of $58,750. Local prices are 4.9% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $52,771 would in a typical U.S. city. St. Louis, MO ranks #2 of 22 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a machinist afford rent in St. Louis, MO?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in St. Louis, MO is $989 a month ($1,211 for two bedrooms) — 24% of a median machinist’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in St. Louis, MO
- First-Line Supervisor of Production and Operating Workers — $75,210
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — $62,090
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers — $51,790
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers — $51,640
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operator and Tender — $47,460
- Miscellaneous Assembler and Fabricator — $46,570
- Production Workers, All Other — $40,900