Machinists pay range in San Jose
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,350 a year or less, while the top 10% make $97,750 or more. The middle half of machinists in San Jose earn between $51,480 and $81,470.
- $44K10th
- $51K25th
- $64KMedian
- $81K75th
- $98K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $69,020 | $5,752 | $33.18 |
| Median | $63,540 | $5,295 | $30.55 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $51,480 | $4,290 | $24.75 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $81,470 | $6,789 | $39.17 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.
Machinists salary after taxes in San Jose
On the average salary of $69,020, a single filer in San Jose takes home about $54,936 a year, or $4,578 a month and $2,113 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% 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 San Jose a good place for machinists? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the San Jose area are 10% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 110.4), so the average $69,020 buys what about $62,505 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.8 times the median wage of all jobs in San Jose ($84,050). A typical home costs $1,610,466, or 23.3 years of this average salary before tax.
Machinists salary in other California cities
San Jose ranks 2nd 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 San Jose: questions
How much do machinists make an hour in San Jose?
$33.18 an hour on average, and $30.55 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level machinists salary in San Jose?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $44,350 a year and the 25th percentile is $51,480, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the machinists take-home pay in San Jose?
About $54,936 a year ($4,578 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $69,020. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
Do machinists earn more in San Jose than elsewhere?
The average here is 15% 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 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA (41940). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.8%.
- 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 0.66, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.66).
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