Machinist salary in West Virginia
Median $22.77 an hour for 1,700 machinists, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Machinist pay in West Virginia: the full range
West Virginia ranks 51st of 51 states for median machinist pay, and 50th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $25.44). 1,700 machinists work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $17.94 – $18.84 | $37,300 – $39,180 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $18.84 – $28.80 | $39,180 – $59,910 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $28.80 – $34.61 | $59,910 – $71,980 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Machinist pay by metro in West Virginia
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | $23.47 | $33.10 | $30.39 | $54.69 | 620 | 45% above |
| Hagerstown | $19.21 | $28.55 | $30.31 | $36.50 | 210 | 25% above |
| Wheeling | $18.40 | $28.26 | $32.00 | $34.64 | 60 | 24% above |
| Beckley | $18.57 | $26.90 | $30.43 | $30.53 | 70 | 18% above |
| Morgantown | $18.17 | $24.29 | $26.03 | $33.38 | 90 | 7% above |
| Winchester | $19.95 | $23.62 | $24.48 | $36.85 | 100 | 4% above |
| Charleston | $17.20 | $23.13 | $26.08 | $35.95 | 110 | 2% above |
| Weirton | $19.39 | $22.37 | $25.13 | $37.29 | 140 | 2% below |
| Huntington | $17.94 | $22.25 | $25.17 | $33.58 | 680 | 2% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Machinist wages in West Virginia over time
Table
| Year | West Virginia $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $11.80 | $22.80 | $14.30 | 2,180 |
| 2000 | $12.33 | $23.05 | $14.78 | 2,300 |
| 2001 | $13.84 | $25.16 | $15.43 | 2,140 |
| 2002 | $15.47 | $27.68 | $15.66 | 2,080 |
| 2003 | $15.70 | $27.47 | $15.91 | 2,280 |
| 2004 | $15.49 | $26.40 | $16.33 | 2,130 |
| 2005 | $15.48 | $25.52 | $16.51 | 2,170 |
| 2006 | $15.93 | $25.44 | $16.71 | 2,180 |
| 2007 | $17.17 | $26.66 | $16.94 | 2,290 |
| 2008 | $16.55 | $24.75 | $17.41 | 2,450 |
| 2009 | $16.00 | $24.01 | $18.10 | 2,340 |
| 2010 | $16.17 | $23.87 | $18.52 | 2,050 |
| 2011 | $16.54 | $23.67 | $18.86 | 2,220 |
| 2012 | $17.02 | $23.87 | $18.99 | 1,960 |
| 2013 | $17.10 | $23.63 | $19.03 | 1,950 |
| 2014 | $18.73 | $25.47 | $19.22 | 1,650 |
| 2015 | $19.23 | $26.12 | $19.49 | 1,920 |
| 2016 | $18.31 | $24.56 | $20.05 | 1,840 |
| 2017 | $17.90 | $23.51 | $20.48 | 1,710 |
| 2018 | $16.92 | $21.69 | $20.97 | 1,720 |
| 2019 | $21.01 | $26.46 | $21.36 | 1,320 |
| 2020 | $21.58 | $26.84 | $22.04 | 1,220 |
| 2021 | $22.51 | $26.74 | $22.95 | 1,160 |
| 2022 | $22.57 | $24.83 | $23.32 | 1,150 |
| 2023 | $22.77 | $24.06 | $24.44 | 1,140 |
| 2024 | $23.07 | $23.68 | $27.00 | 1,530 |
| 2025 | $22.77 | $22.77 | $28.24 | 1,700 |
In today's dollars, the median machinist wage in West Virginia changed by -12.8% over the last ten years of data and by -13.9% since 2019.
Are there more machinist jobs in West Virginia?
BLS counted 1,700 machinists in West Virginia in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 12%. 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 West Virginia
West Virginia's labor market agency projects the number of machinists in the state to change by +1.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,690 to 1,710, with about 170 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 1,700 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections.
Is construction work growing in West Virginia?
Keep comparing
Machinist pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in West Virginia
More on West Virginia
Questions this page answers
How much do machinists make in West Virginia?
The median machinist in West Virginia earned $22.77 an hour ($47,350 a year) in May 2025, 19% below the national median of $28.24. The middle half earn $18.84–$28.80; the top 10% earn more than $34.61.
Where does West Virginia rank for machinist pay?
West Virginia ranks 51st of 51 states for machinist pay, with a median of $22.77 an hour, and 50th after adjusting for West Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.5, US = 100).
What is the union machinist rate in West Virginia?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a machinist classification for most West Virginia counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many machinists work in West Virginia?
BLS counted 1,700 machinists in West Virginia in May 2025, 2.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.31; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is machinist work growing in West Virginia?
West Virginia's labor market agency projects +1.2% growth for machinists between 2024 and 2034, from 1,690 to 1,710 jobs.
How many machinist openings a year are there in West Virginia?
West Virginia projects about 170 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, West Virginia 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: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.