Side-by-side distribution
Machinist
$82,160
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.6%
- Live roles
- 133
Plant Manager
$175,330
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 35.5%
- Live roles
- 62
Highest-paying jobs
Senior Machinist / Shop Manager
CNC Programmer & Machinist (3- Axis & 5-Axis Okuma)
Senior CNC Programmer & Machinist, 5-Axis
Machinist
Senior CNC Machinist
CNC Machinist
Lead Machinist
Senior Mill-Turn Machinist
CNC Machinist (Mill & Lathe)
Machinist III
Highest-paying jobs
Plant Manager
Staff Product Manager, AI Factory
Senior Engineering Manager, Factory Core
Manager, Plant Control Engineering
Technical Account Manager - Token Factory
Plant Operations Manager (Jet Fuel Plant)
Manufacturing Plant Manager
Sr. Plant Manager
Lead Project Manager, Factory Development
Sr Manager, Data Factory Operation
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
SpaceX
|
$62,400 | 13 |
Thorlabs
|
$67,600 | 3 |
|
Kairos Power
|
$106,600 | 2 |
|
Rennscot MFG
|
$98,070 | 2 |
Burnout Brands
|
$79,040 | 2 |
Mach Industries
|
$76,440 | 2 |
Freeform
|
$70,200 | 2 |
| AX Axon | $134,550 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| NE New Era Technology | $135,000 | 3 |
Clearway Energy
|
$131,000 | 3 |
|
Fluidstack
|
$315,000 | 1 |
|
Domino Data Lab
|
$262,500 | 1 |
|
Hadrian Automation
|
$250,000 | 1 |
|
Helion
|
$220,000 | 1 |
|
Nebius
|
$202,500 | 1 |
|
Twelve
|
$198,000 | 1 |
Machinist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $78,000 | 5 |
Machinist vs Plant Manager: which pays more?
The median for Machinist is $82,160 per year (typically $62,400–$94,640), versus $175,330 for Plant Manager ($135,630–$200,250). 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.