Lathe Machine Operator

Lathe Machine Operator Salary

$27.5K

$46K

$60K

$45,817

/year

$22.03

/hour

Lathe Machine Operator Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$45,817

Columbus

Ohio

$44,255

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    How much does a Lathe Machine Operator make?

    As of Aug 21, 2026, the average annual pay for a Lathe Machine Operator in the United States is $45,817 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $22.03 an hour. This is the equivalent of $881/week or $3,818/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $60,000 and as low as $27,500, the majority of Lathe Machine Operator salaries currently range between $39,500 (25th percentile) to $52,000 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $56,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Lathe Machine Operator varies greatly (by as much as 12500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Lathe Machine Operator in your area makes on average $44,255 per year, or $1,562 (3.409%) less than the national average annual salary of $45,817. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Lathe Machine Operator salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Lathe Machine Operator jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Lathe Machine Operator on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Lathe Machine Operator Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Lathe Machine Operator job is above the national average. Topping the list is Nome, AK, , with Berkeley, CA, and Sitka, AK, close behind in the second and third positions. Sitka, AK, beats the national average by $9,378 (20.5%), and Nome, AK, furthers that trend with another $11,019 (24.1%) above the $45,817 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Lathe Machine Operator appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Nome, AK, and Waimea, HI, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Lathe Machine Operator role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Nome, AK

    $56,836

    $27.32

    Berkeley, CA

    $56,101

    $26.97

    Sitka, AK

    $55,195

    $26.54

    Santa Clara, CA

    $54,149

    $26.03

    Pittsburg, CA

    $54,114

    $26.02

    Palo Alto, CA

    $53,928

    $25.93

    San Francisco, CA

    $53,894

    $25.91

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $53,774

    $25.85

    Middleton, MA

    $53,617

    $25.78

    Waimea, HI

    $53,438

    $25.69

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Lathe Machine Operator Jobs in the U.S.

    We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Lathe Machine Operator category.

    For example Cam Programmer jobs pay as much as $36,417 (79.5%) more than the average Lathe Machine Operator salary of $45,817. If you're qualified, finding work as a Cam Programmer may help you make more money than that of the average Lathe Machine Operator position.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Cam Programmer

    $82,234

    $39.54

    Maintenance Machinist

    $65,120

    $31.31

    Cnc Milling Machine Operator

    $51,882

    $24.94

    Lathe Machine

    $49,473

    $23.79

    Turret Lathe Operator

    $45,817

    $22.03

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Lathe Machine Operator salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $45,817 per year or $22.03 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.