Machinists pay range in Salinas
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,590 a year or less, while the top 10% make $97,150 or more. The middle half of machinists in Salinas earn between $44,560 and $73,920.
- $39K10th
- $45K25th
- $56KMedian
- $74K75th
- $97K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $62,140 | $5,178 | $29.88 |
| Median | $56,490 | $4,708 | $27.16 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $44,560 | $3,713 | $21.42 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $73,920 | $6,160 | $35.54 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Machinists salary after taxes in Salinas
On the average salary of $62,140, a single filer in Salinas takes home about $50,189 a year, or $4,182 a month and $1,930 every two weeks. Taxes take 19% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Is Salinas a good place for machinists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Salinas area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.0), so the average $62,140 buys what about $56,987 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Salinas ($47,380). A typical home costs $850,461, or 13.7 years of this average salary before tax.
Machinists salary in other California cities
Salinas ranks 8th of 22 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($76,240).
- San Francisco$76,240
- San Jose$69,020
- Vallejo$67,080
- Yuba City$65,470
- Redding$64,700
- San Diego$64,530
- Santa Maria$62,340
- Salinas$62,140
- Sacramento$62,070
- Santa Rosa$60,000
Highest-paying cities for machinists
Honolulu, HI pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($81,140).
- Honolulu, HI$81,140
- Bremerton, WA$79,720
- Barnstable, MA$77,800
- Florence, AL$77,420
- San Francisco, CA$76,240
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Machinists salary in Salinas: questions
How much do machinists make an hour in Salinas?
$29.88 an hour on average, and $27.16 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level machinists salary in Salinas?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $38,590 a year and the 25th percentile is $44,560, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the machinists take-home pay in Salinas?
About $50,189 a year ($4,182 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $62,140. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do machinists earn more in Salinas than elsewhere?
The average here is 4% more than the U.S. metro average for this job ($59,811).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-4041; area Salinas, CA (41500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 2.9%.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.25, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.25).
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