Machinist salary in Maine
Median $28.44 an hour for 1,780 machinists, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Machinist pay in Maine: the full range
Maine ranks 25th of 51 states for median machinist pay, and 27th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.32). 1,780 machinists work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.7× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $22.00 – $24.08 | $45,760 – $50,090 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $24.08 – $34.92 | $50,090 – $72,640 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $34.92 – $37.68 | $72,640 – $78,380 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Machinist pay by metro in Maine
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland | $24.30 | $31.34 | $30.76 | $38.58 | 1,100 | 10% above |
| Lewiston | $17.95 | $28.37 | $29.96 | $31.57 | 90 | about the same as |
| Bangor | $17.25 | $26.00 | $26.94 | $34.97 | 70 | 9% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Machinist wages in Maine over time
Table
| Year | Maine $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $14.46 | $27.94 | $14.30 | 1,870 |
| 2000 | $14.36 | $26.85 | $14.78 | 2,410 |
| 2001 | $15.41 | $28.01 | $15.43 | 2,090 |
| 2002 | $16.07 | $28.76 | $15.66 | 2,130 |
| 2003 | $16.79 | $29.38 | $15.91 | 2,240 |
| 2004 | $18.16 | $30.95 | $16.33 | 1,850 |
| 2005 | $18.67 | $30.78 | $16.51 | 1,750 |
| 2006 | $18.68 | $29.83 | $16.71 | 1,770 |
| 2007 | $19.98 | $31.02 | $16.94 | 1,860 |
| 2008 | $19.79 | $29.59 | $17.41 | 1,880 |
| 2009 | $18.83 | $28.26 | $18.10 | 1,430 |
| 2010 | $20.70 | $30.56 | $18.52 | 1,470 |
| 2011 | $21.25 | $30.41 | $18.86 | 1,540 |
| 2012 | $22.03 | $30.89 | $18.99 | 1,510 |
| 2013 | $20.41 | $28.21 | $19.03 | 1,440 |
| 2014 | $20.63 | $28.06 | $19.22 | 1,240 |
| 2015 | $21.51 | $29.22 | $19.49 | 1,480 |
| 2016 | $22.08 | $29.62 | $20.05 | 1,360 |
| 2017 | $22.61 | $29.70 | $20.48 | 1,430 |
| 2018 | $23.93 | $30.68 | $20.97 | 1,250 |
| 2019 | $23.15 | $29.15 | $21.36 | 1,370 |
| 2020 | $24.57 | $30.56 | $22.04 | 1,280 |
| 2021 | $23.05 | $27.39 | $22.95 | 1,630 |
| 2022 | $24.66 | $27.13 | $23.32 | 1,510 |
| 2023 | $26.86 | $28.38 | $24.44 | 1,520 |
| 2024 | $29.78 | $30.56 | $27.00 | 1,560 |
| 2025 | $28.44 | $28.44 | $28.24 | 1,780 |
In today's dollars, the median machinist wage in Maine changed by -2.7% over the last ten years of data and by -2.4% since 2019.
Are there more machinist jobs in Maine?
BLS counted 1,780 machinists in Maine in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 4%. 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 Maine
Maine's labor market agency projects the number of machinists in the state to change by +1.4% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,550 to 1,570, with about 160 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +1.0% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 1,780 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Maine labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Maine?
Keep comparing
Machinist pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Maine
More on Maine
Questions this page answers
How much do machinists make in Maine?
The median machinist in Maine earned $28.44 an hour ($59,160 a year) in May 2025, 1% above the national median of $28.24. The middle half earn $24.08–$34.92; the top 10% earn more than $37.68.
Where does Maine rank for machinist pay?
Maine ranks 25th of 51 states for machinist pay, with a median of $28.44 an hour, and 27th after adjusting for Maine's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.0, US = 100).
What is the union machinist rate in Maine?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a machinist classification for most Maine counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many machinists work in Maine?
BLS counted 1,780 machinists in Maine in May 2025, 2.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.50; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is machinist work growing in Maine?
Maine's labor market agency projects +1.4% growth for machinists between 2024 and 2034, from 1,550 to 1,570 jobs.
How many machinist openings a year are there in Maine?
Maine projects about 160 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, Maine 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: Maine labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.