Side-by-side distribution
Machinist
$78,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 37.5%
- Live roles
- 128
Plant Manager
$175,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.8%
- Live roles
- 66
Highest-paying jobs
CNC Programmer & Machinist (3- Axis & 5-Axis Okuma)
Senior CNC Programmer & Machinist, 5-Axis
Machinist
Senior CNC Machinist
CNC Machinist
Senior Mill-Turn Machinist
CNC Machinist (Mill & Lathe)
Machinist III
R&D Machinist I-III
Diamond Turning Machinist (Starlink) - Level 4/5
Highest-paying jobs
Plant Manager
Staff Product Manager, AI Factory
Senior Engineering Manager, Factory Core
Manager, Software Engineering - Factory Platform
Manager, Plant Control Engineering
Technical Account Manager - Token Factory
Plant Operations Manager (Jet Fuel Plant)
Manufacturing Plant Manager
Lead Project Manager, Factory Development
Sr Manager, Data Factory Operation
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
SpaceX
|
$54,080 | 17 |
Thorlabs
|
$68,640 | 3 |
|
Kairos Power
|
$106,600 | 2 |
|
Rennscot MFG
|
$98,070 | 2 |
Burnout Brands
|
$79,040 | 2 |
Mach Industries
|
$71,240 | 2 |
Freeform
|
$70,200 | 2 |
|
Space Kinetic
|
$130,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| NE New Era Technology | $135,000 | 3 |
|
Fluidstack
|
$353,000 | 1 |
|
Domino Data Lab
|
$262,500 | 1 |
|
Hadrian Automation
|
$250,000 | 1 |
|
Relativity Space
|
$224,000 | 1 |
|
Helion
|
$220,000 | 1 |
|
Nebius
|
$202,500 | 1 |
|
Twelve
|
$198,000 | 1 |
Machinist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $78,364 | 5 |
Machinist vs Plant Manager: which pays more?
The median for Machinist is $78,000 per year (typically $61,880–$87,880), versus $175,000 for Plant Manager ($135,000–$202,500). That puts Plant Manager about 124% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Machinist and Plant Manager are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.