Side-by-side distribution
Machinist
$31.00/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 50.3%
- Live roles
- 877
Plant Manager
$137,650
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 44.9%
- Live roles
- 445
Highest-paying jobs
CNC Machinist
CNC Machinist Trainer
Gear Machinist
CNC Machinist/Programmer
CNC Machinist
Senior CNC Programmer & Machinist, 5-Axis
Lead CNC Machinist (PM Shift)
CNC Mill-Turn Machinist
Senior Composite CNC Programmer/Machinist
Machinist 1st Shift
Highest-paying jobs
Plant Manager (Arizona)
Senior Manager Engineering – Meta Factory
Senior Manager, Software Development – Meta Factory
Factory Manager
Staff Product Manager, AI Factory
Senior Manager, Software Engineering, Plant Control
Manager, ML Solutions Architecture - Token Factory
Senior Engineering Manager, Factory Core
Manager Subsystem Factory Test Design Section 3
Sr. Manager - Factory Automation
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Moog
|
$62,400 | 36 |
| WO Woodward | $57,470 | 22 |
SpaceX
|
$54,470 | 22 |
Caterpillar
|
$66,321 | 20 |
Curtiss-Wright
|
$64,480 | 17 |
| GV GE Vernova | $69,991 | 16 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$70,300 | 14 |
Regal Rexnord
|
$58,240 | 14 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| JC J.Crew | $45,604 | 63 |
Heidelberg Materials
|
$128,273 | 10 |
Niagara Bottling
|
$143,397 | 5 |
Kraft Heinz
|
$184,700 | 4 |
|
Nebius
|
$202,500 | 3 |
Abbott
|
$170,000 | 3 |
Greif
|
$161,200 | 3 |
| PG Procter & Gamble | $137,650 | 3 |
Machinist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $107,760 | 6 |
| Los Angeles | $78,000 | 5 |
| New York | $61,486 | 8 |
Plant Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $160,956 | 4 |
| New York | $130,361 | 3 |
| Chicago | $102,150 | 3 |
Machinist vs Plant Manager: which pays more?
The median for Machinist is $31.00/hr per year (typically $27.07/hr–$36.54/hr), versus $137,650 for Plant Manager ($111,928–$175,000). That puts Plant Manager about 113% 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.