Outpaid

Machinists salary
in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

Median base pay · San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
$61,420
≈ $29.53/hr · BLS OEWS, May 2025 · 2,180 jobs
Middle 50%
$48,700–$78,650
vs U.S. median
+5%
Metro rank
#44 of 266

Machinists in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro earn a median of $61,420 a year, based on BLS estimates for 2,180 jobs (May 2025). That is 5% above the U.S. median of $58,750 and 7% above the CA statewide median of $57,190. It ranks #44 of 266 metros with published figures for this job.

MACHINISTS · SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA · BLS

Full percentile breakdown

BLS OEWS MAY 2025 · SAN DIEGO-CHULA VISTA-CARLSBAD, CA · ALL EMPLOYERS, ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS
P10$40,300P25$48,700MEDIAN$61,420P75$78,650P90$86,970
BLS · UNITED STATES
P10$39,200P25$47,570MEDIAN$58,750P75$67,700P90$80,010
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Questions

What is the average Machinists salary in San Diego?

The BLS median is $61,420 a year (May 2025). Half of the 2,180 jobs pay between $48,700 and $78,650. The 10th percentile is $40,300 and the 90th is $86,970.

Is San Diego a high-paying metro for Machinists?

That is 5% above the U.S. median of $58,750 and 7% above the CA statewide median of $57,190. It ranks #44 of 266 U.S. metros with published BLS figures for this job.

How much do Machinists make an hour in San Diego?

About $29.53 an hour at the median (the BLS annual figure of $61,420 divided by 2,080 hours, the conversion BLS uses). The middle half earn about $23.41–$37.81 an hour. Straight-time pay, before overtime and shift differentials.

Does this include experience levels?

BLS figures cover all experience levels together. Employer filings carry a DOL wage level, which the free checker can filter by (approximate).

Sources: U.S. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national + state) (metro area estimates, all employers); employer rows from U.S. DOL OFLC LCA Disclosure Data, FY2026 Q3 (LCA_Disclosure_Data_FY2026_Q3.xlsx). Base pay only. Estimates can have sampling error, especially for smaller metros.