Side-by-side distribution
Machinist
$82,160
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.6%
- Live roles
- 133
Quality Control
$55,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.4%
- Live roles
- 71
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
Quality Control Inspector
Quality Control Inspector
Quality Control Inspector
Quality Control Inspector
Quality Control Technician
Line Maintenance Quality Control Inspector - $800 monthly stipend + $10,000 Bonus!
Technician, Quality Control
Quality Control Inspector
Quality Control Inspector
Repair & Quality Control Technician
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 |
|---|---|---|
Trexon
|
$45,240 | 6 |
|
Murray Company Mechanical Contractors
|
$93,600 | 2 |
|
Xometry
|
$81,750 | 2 |
| IE Industrial Electric Manufacturing | $85,998 | 1 |
|
Breeze Airways™
|
$81,120 | 1 |
|
F.H. Paschen
|
$80,000 | 1 |
|
Osmo
|
$74,000 | 1 |
|
TechFlow, Inc.
|
$65,000 | 1 |
Machinist salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $78,000 | 5 |
Machinist vs Quality Control: which pays more?
The median for Machinist is $82,160 per year (typically $62,400–$94,640), versus $55,000 for Quality Control ($45,760–$74,000). That puts Machinist about 49% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Machinist and Quality Control 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.