Machinist salary in Iowa
Median $27.66 an hour for 2,880 machinists, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Machinist pay in Iowa: the full range
Iowa ranks 36th of 51 states for median machinist pay, and 7th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.50). 2,880 machinists work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.6× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $21.39 – $23.65 | $44,500 – $49,190 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.65 – $29.58 | $49,190 – $61,530 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $29.58 – $34.21 | $61,530 – $71,160 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Machinist pay by metro in Iowa
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davenport | $20.12 | $29.67 | $33.30 | $38.70 | 600 | 7% above |
| Ames | $25.54 | $28.94 | $32.59 | $35.61 | 60 | 5% above |
| Des Moines | $18.40 | $28.51 | $31.09 | $35.76 | 210 | 3% above |
| Dubuque | $22.99 | $28.31 | $32.43 | $31.92 | 180 | 2% above |
| Omaha | $19.23 | $28.14 | $30.62 | $39.04 | 240 | 2% above |
| Waterloo | $21.91 | $27.93 | $32.07 | $34.21 | 180 | 1% above |
| Sioux City | $18.19 | $27.09 | $31.32 | $30.36 | 80 | 2% below |
| Cedar Rapids | $20.43 | $26.93 | $30.26 | $36.05 | 180 | 3% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Machinist wages in Iowa over time
Table
| Year | Iowa $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $11.85 | $22.90 | $14.30 | 7,040 |
| 2000 | $12.59 | $23.54 | $14.78 | 6,290 |
| 2001 | $13.25 | $24.09 | $15.43 | 5,900 |
| 2002 | $13.74 | $24.59 | $15.66 | 6,250 |
| 2003 | $14.44 | $25.27 | $15.91 | 5,600 |
| 2004 | $15.32 | $26.11 | $16.33 | 5,030 |
| 2005 | $15.59 | $25.70 | $16.51 | 5,340 |
| 2006 | $15.94 | $25.46 | $16.71 | 5,200 |
| 2007 | $16.20 | $25.15 | $16.94 | 5,540 |
| 2008 | $16.62 | $24.85 | $17.41 | 6,510 |
| 2009 | $16.69 | $25.05 | $18.10 | 5,420 |
| 2010 | $16.87 | $24.91 | $18.52 | 4,900 |
| 2011 | $17.19 | $24.60 | $18.86 | 4,610 |
| 2012 | $17.50 | $24.54 | $18.99 | 4,800 |
| 2013 | $17.49 | $24.17 | $19.03 | 4,540 |
| 2014 | $17.68 | $24.04 | $19.22 | 4,080 |
| 2015 | $17.60 | $23.91 | $19.49 | 4,210 |
| 2016 | $18.25 | $24.48 | $20.05 | 4,150 |
| 2017 | $18.28 | $24.01 | $20.48 | 4,050 |
| 2018 | $18.78 | $24.08 | $20.97 | 4,300 |
| 2019 | $19.08 | $24.03 | $21.36 | 4,570 |
| 2020 | $20.27 | $25.21 | $22.04 | 4,360 |
| 2021 | $22.43 | $26.65 | $22.95 | 3,600 |
| 2022 | $23.04 | $25.35 | $23.32 | 3,160 |
| 2023 | $24.48 | $25.87 | $24.44 | 2,710 |
| 2024 | $25.67 | $26.35 | $27.00 | 3,010 |
| 2025 | $27.66 | $27.66 | $28.24 | 2,880 |
In today's dollars, the median machinist wage in Iowa changed by +15.7% over the last ten years of data and by +15.1% since 2019.
Are there more machinist jobs in Iowa?
BLS counted 2,880 machinists in Iowa in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 7%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for machinists in Iowa
Iowa's labor market agency projects the number of machinists in the state to change by +4.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 3,740 to 3,900, with about 390 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +1.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 2,880 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Iowa labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Iowa?
Keep comparing
Machinist pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Iowa
More on Iowa
Questions this page answers
How much do machinists make in Iowa?
The median machinist in Iowa earned $27.66 an hour ($57,540 a year) in May 2025, 2% below the national median of $28.24. The middle half earn $23.65–$29.58; the top 10% earn more than $34.21.
Where does Iowa rank for machinist pay?
Iowa ranks 36th of 51 states for machinist pay, with a median of $27.66 an hour, and 7th after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.8, US = 100).
What is the union machinist rate in Iowa?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a machinist classification for most Iowa counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many machinists work in Iowa?
BLS counted 2,880 machinists in Iowa in May 2025, 1.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.00; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is machinist work growing in Iowa?
Iowa's labor market agency projects +4.4% growth for machinists between 2024 and 2034, from 3,740 to 3,900 jobs.
How many machinist openings a year are there in Iowa?
Iowa projects about 390 openings a year for machinists over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 26,100 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Iowa and metro areas, SOC 51-4041. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
- BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
- State projection: Iowa labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.