Side-by-side distribution
Machinist
$82,160
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.6%
- Live roles
- 133
Production Manager
$106,250
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 37.9%
- Live roles
- 309
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
Creative Artwork Production Manager (12-month fixed term contract)
Production Manager
Sr. Manager - Production Engineering
Senior Manager, Production Engineering
Manager, Engineering (Production Orchestration)
Staff Technical Program Manager, Production
Media Production Manager
Senior Technical Program Manager, Production Engineering
Staff Production Program Manager
Sr Manager, Production Operations
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$146,500 | 15 |
HelloFresh
|
$58,763 | 8 |
LandCare
|
$75,000 | 7 |
Gotion, Inc.
|
$123,750 | 6 |
J&J Snack Foods
|
$67,500 | 5 |
Relativity Space
|
$162,000 | 3 |
Vast
|
$160,000 | 3 |
Keller Executive Search
|
$95,000 | 3 |
Machinist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $78,000 | 5 |
Production Manager salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $148,650 | 4 |
| Atlanta | $146,500 | 3 |
| New York | $103,750 | 10 |
| Los Angeles | $94,736 | 8 |
Machinist vs Production Manager: which pays more?
The median for Machinist is $82,160 per year (typically $62,400–$94,640), versus $106,250 for Production Manager ($83,803–$135,750). That puts Production Manager about 29% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Machinist and Production 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.