Machinist salary in North Dakota
Median $29.72 an hour for 560 machinists, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Machinist pay in North Dakota: the full range
North Dakota ranks 12th of 51 states for median machinist pay, and 3rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.39). 560 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 | $22.99 – $23.70 | $47,810 – $49,300 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.70 – $35.90 | $49,300 – $74,670 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $35.90 – $38.48 | $74,670 – $80,030 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Machinist pay by metro in North Dakota
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bismarck | $23.30 | $35.62 | $39.14 | $50.92 | 70 | 20% above |
| Fargo | $22.99 | $29.72 | $32.70 | $37.15 | 130 | about the same as |
| Grand Forks | $21.50 | $27.83 | $32.10 | $36.17 | 100 | 6% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Machinist wages in North Dakota over time
Table
| Year | North Dakota $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.31 | $25.72 | $14.30 | 500 |
| 2000 | $15.37 | $28.74 | $14.78 | 420 |
| 2001 | $15.52 | $28.21 | $15.43 | 460 |
| 2002 | $15.61 | $27.94 | $15.66 | 420 |
| 2003 | $16.05 | $28.08 | $15.91 | 420 |
| 2004 | $16.36 | $27.88 | $16.33 | 410 |
| 2005 | $15.87 | $26.16 | $16.51 | 370 |
| 2006 | $16.38 | $26.16 | $16.71 | 440 |
| 2007 | $15.85 | $24.61 | $16.94 | 370 |
| 2008 | $17.46 | $26.11 | $17.41 | 530 |
| 2009 | $18.10 | $27.16 | $18.10 | 450 |
| 2010 | $17.78 | $26.25 | $18.52 | 610 |
| 2011 | $18.49 | $26.46 | $18.86 | 750 |
| 2012 | $18.46 | $25.89 | $18.99 | 950 |
| 2013 | $19.31 | $26.69 | $19.03 | 770 |
| 2014 | $20.15 | $27.40 | $19.22 | 760 |
| 2015 | $20.17 | $27.40 | $19.49 | 690 |
| 2016 | $21.52 | $28.87 | $20.05 | 700 |
| 2017 | $22.38 | $29.39 | $20.48 | 540 |
| 2018 | $25.17 | $32.27 | $20.97 | 470 |
| 2019 | $25.28 | $31.83 | $21.36 | 430 |
| 2020 | $25.47 | $31.68 | $22.04 | 350 |
| 2021 | $24.69 | $29.33 | $22.95 | 330 |
| 2022 | $27.84 | $30.63 | $23.32 | 670 |
| 2023 | $29.04 | $30.68 | $24.44 | 540 |
| 2024 | $27.94 | $28.68 | $27.00 | 500 |
| 2025 | $29.72 | $29.72 | $28.24 | 560 |
In today's dollars, the median machinist wage in North Dakota changed by +8.5% over the last ten years of data and by -6.6% since 2019.
Are there more machinist jobs in North Dakota?
BLS counted 560 machinists in North Dakota in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 10%. 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 North Dakota
North Dakota's labor market agency projects the number of machinists in the state to change by +7.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 510 to 550, with about 60 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 560 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: North Dakota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in North Dakota?
Keep comparing
Machinist pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in North Dakota
More on North Dakota
Questions this page answers
How much do machinists make in North Dakota?
The median machinist in North Dakota earned $29.72 an hour ($61,820 a year) in May 2025, 5% above the national median of $28.24. The middle half earn $23.70–$35.90; the top 10% earn more than $38.48.
Where does North Dakota rank for machinist pay?
North Dakota ranks 12th of 51 states for machinist pay, with a median of $29.72 an hour, and 3rd after adjusting for North Dakota's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.0, US = 100).
What is the union machinist rate in North Dakota?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a machinist classification for most North Dakota counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many machinists work in North Dakota?
BLS counted 560 machinists in North Dakota in May 2025, 1.3 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.71; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is machinist work growing in North Dakota?
North Dakota's labor market agency projects +7.8% growth for machinists between 2024 and 2034, from 510 to 550 jobs.
How many machinist openings a year are there in North Dakota?
North Dakota projects about 60 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, North Dakota 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: North Dakota labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.