Become a Machinist

Machinists work with tools to create metal for machinery, factories, and automobiles, among other things.[1] If you enjoy detailed, precise work, metal manipulation, and problem-solving, machining can be an awesome career option. By pursuing the proper education, applying for jobs, and making the most of your career, you can become a master of modern metal.

Steps

Getting the Appropriate Education

  1. Finish high school, focusing on math, metal, and computer skills. Most machinist jobs require at least a high school degree. Focus on any available math, computer science, and metal shop courses to best prepare yourself for machining work. To improve your job prospects, you can take extra courses at local community colleges or online in blueprint reading and drafting, which will both be useful in the field.[2]
    • Trigonometry and algebra are especially useful for the kinds of precise measurements you will need to make as a machinist.[3]
  2. Complete a 4-year apprenticeship program. The vast majority of working machinists completed apprenticeships to enter the field, rather than getting their associate’s or bachelor’s degrees.[4] In an apprenticeship, you will learn how to operate machine tools and program CNC machines in the shop, and you will study math, physics, and mechanical drawing in the classroom.[5]
    • At the end of an apprenticeship, you will be eligible for union machinist positions.[6]
    • Throughout the apprenticeship, you will be paid limited wages, which will increase over the course of the apprenticeship.
  3. Pursue an associate’s degree for advanced job prospects. An associate’s degree in machining can improve your starting salary and make you eligible for management positions in the future, though you will still need a large amount of on-the-job training following its completion.[7] Look for technical machining degrees at trade schools or community colleges.
    • Associate’s degrees will expose you to different areas of the industry, giving you a better idea of what kind of specialization you are interested in.
  4. Pursue a bachelor’s degree in machining for special industry jobs. If you are interested in entering the machining trade in a more advanced industry like aerospace or tech, a four-year college can open up doors. Here, you will be able to take courses like calculus, physics, and engineering, and can go on to apply for higher-paying machinist positions in aerospace and tech.
    • This is an unusual track to machining, which will likely enhance your opportunities but is not expected or required for most machining jobs.
  5. Complete on-the-job training in a shop. Most machinist jobs will require some on-the-job training, but if you didn’t pursue formal education, you will need to complete 12-18 months of on-the-job training. Candidates with associate degrees will also need to complete additional training. Candidates who completed apprenticeships will need less training.[8]
    • To make the most of on-the-job training, expose yourself to different jobs happening in the shop and pay attention to which areas of machining you like the most.

Finding a Job

  1. Find machine shops with open positions. Once you have completed an apprenticeship, an associate’s degree, or on-the-job training, you should be a qualified candidate for most machining positions. Search for jobs in your area using job search sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and CareerBuilder.
    • In the coming years, job openings for machinists are projected to exceed the number of qualified candidates, which means available positions and job security for a trained machinist like yourself.[9]
  2. Decide what kinds of jobs to apply to. Machinists tend to specialize in either production or maintenance. Production machinists will produce large amounts of one item, while maintenance machinists will do detailed repair work on existing production machines.[10] You can apply to jobs in both specializations or narrow down to one depending on which specializations you enjoyed in school or training.
    • Your job will vary based on industry as well. The machining fields with the highest salaries are natural gas distribution and electric power.
  3. Apply to machining jobs. Craft a resume that details your job training, education, experience, and coursework. Emphasize experience with computer programming or CNC machines, math coursework, blueprint reading experience, and metal work.[11] Most applications will also require that you Write a Cover Letter for an Engineering Job and come in for interviews.
    • Do research on common interview questions for machining jobs and practice answering them to a friend or family member.

Excelling in the Field

  1. Join a union if you want to better take advantage of employee benefits. Union members are more likely to receive health coverage, tend to earn more, receive more sick leave, and make better use of their retirement plans. Union contracts can help protect you in the case of lay-off and provide enhanced job security.[12]
  2. Find a mentor in your machine shop or union. Pick someone you connect with and ask them to be your mentor. Learning from a mentor can be a good way to evaluate what options you will have in the field in the future.
    • Mentors can also offer suggested for additional training and continued education, if you are looking to advance in the field.
  3. Take on more responsibility to advance your career. Once you are working as a qualified machinist, you can advance your career by taking on additional shifts and working up to managerial positions. Managerial positions require very different skill sets from technical machining, but after 5-10 years in a machine shop you may be looking to increase your salary and diversify your role.
    • If opportunities are not available for advancement at your shop, keep your eye out for other job opportunities online and apply for positions that interest you.
  4. Diversify your skill set and look for new opportunities. Some machinists end up moving away from traditional machinist work into CAD programming, inspection, quality control, or program planning.[13] These jobs can open up new opportunities.
    • If you have an associate’s degree, you can go back to school to finish up a bachelor’s degree in engineering and translate your experience to new opportunities, or advance further in the machinist field.

Tips

  • If you are struggling to find a job as a machinist, remember that your location is important. The Great Lakes region, the Southeast, California, and Texas are all hotspots for machining jobs.[14]
  • Your salary will depend on your degree of education, but most machinists make above the national median salary. The annual median salary for machinists with an associate’s degree in 2016 was 42,000, while the annual median salary for those without an advanced degree was slightly lower, at 36,000. Years of experience and which industry you work in will also impact your salary.[15]

References

  1. ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/careers/production-machinists
  2. ↑ https://www.princetonreview.com/careers/89/machinist
  3. ↑ https://learn.org/articles/Machinist_How_to_Become_a_Machinist_in_5_Steps.html
  4. ↑ https://www.princetonreview.com/careers/89/machinist
  5. ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/careers/production-machinists
  6. ↑ https://www.princetonreview.com/careers/89/machinist
  7. ↑ https://www.harveyperformance.com/in-the-loupe/how-to-become-a-machinist/
  8. ↑ https://www.harveyperformance.com/in-the-loupe/how-to-become-a-machinist/
  9. ↑ https://study.com/articles/Machinist_Educational_Requirements_and_Employment_Outlook.html
  10. ↑ https://study.com/articles/Machinist_Educational_Requirements_and_Employment_Outlook.html
  11. ↑ https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/careers/production-machinists
  12. ↑ https://www.goiam.org/about/benefits/
  13. ↑ https://www.harveyperformance.com/in-the-loupe/how-to-become-a-machinist/
  14. ↑ https://www.harveyperformance.com/in-the-loupe/how-to-become-a-machinist/
  15. ↑ https://www.harveyperformance.com/in-the-loupe/how-to-become-a-machinist/
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