Career Discovery Tool
Your email has not been verified. Verify email now ›

Machinist and Tool and Die Maker

Overview and Key Facts

Industrial factory employee working in metal manufacturing industry
Education
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Median Pay
Median Pay
$56,150
Job Growth
Job Growth
0.00%
(Below US Average)
Jobs in 2034
Jobs in 2034
299,600

What Do They Do?

A machinist and tool and die maker could...

 
metal drills
Make tool parts based on drawings from an engineer.
xbox game controller
Construct a metal form that makes plastic pieces, like the pieces that make a video game controller.
metal parts measured correctly on top of blueprint
Make sure parts measure correctly.
man cutting metal precisely with CNS machine
Operate CNC machine to make precise cuts or shapes in metal.
 
metal drills xbox game controller metal parts measured correctly on top of blueprint man cutting metal precisely with CNS machine

Overview Listen to this section

Machinists and tool and die makers set up and operate machine tools to make custom metal parts, instruments and tools. These tools and parts go into machines that are needed to help keep factories and machines running smoothly. A machinist may read drawings or blueprints to set up and operate machine tools. A machinist can monitor machine tools but also can work with their hands to shape parts to specific measurements. A tool and die maker can create and fix metal forms that make metal or plastic parts that create objects we use every day. A career as a machinist and tool and die maker is endless, spanning from maintaining industrial machines to making the die that forms your favorite video game controller.

Randy discusses why he became a Tool and Die Maker apprentice and the necessity of the job for manufacturing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dod9igHR2rM
Professional machinists share why they enjoy their manufacturing careers and the exciting work that they do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7UHvXQwHWo

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Machinist and Tool and Die Maker?


  1. Operation and Control: ?
  2. Operations Monitoring: ?
  3. Quality Control Analysis: ?
  4. Critical Thinking: ?
  5. Equipment Selection: ?
More skills...

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Machinist and Tool and Die Maker might do:
  • Machinist Tasks:
  • Machine parts to specifications, using machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, shapers, or grinders.
  • Measure, examine, or test completed units to check for defects and ensure conformance to specifications, using precision instruments, such as micrometers.
  • Set up, adjust, or operate basic or specialized machine tools used to perform precision machining operations.
  • Maintain machine tools in proper operational condition.
  • Fit and assemble parts to make or repair machine tools.
  • Confer with numerical control programmers to check and ensure that new programs or machinery will function properly and that output will meet specifications.
  • Evaluate machining procedures and recommend changes or modifications for improved efficiency or adaptability.
  • Diagnose machine tool malfunctions to determine need for adjustments or repairs.
  • Design fixtures, tooling, or experimental parts to meet special engineering needs.
  • Dismantle machines or equipment, using hand tools or power tools to examine parts for defects and replace defective parts where needed.
  • Test experimental models under simulated operating conditions, for purposes such as development, standardization, or feasibility of design.
  • Install experimental parts or assemblies, such as hydraulic systems, electrical wiring, lubricants, or batteries into machines or mechanisms.
  • Tool and Die Maker Tasks:
  • Verify dimensions, alignments, and clearances of finished parts for conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments such as calipers, gauge blocks, micrometers, or dial indicators.
  • Set up and operate conventional or computer numerically controlled machine tools such as lathes, milling machines, or grinders to cut, bore, grind, or otherwise shape parts to prescribed dimensions and finishes.
  • Visualize and compute dimensions, sizes, shapes, and tolerances of assemblies, based on specifications.
  • Study blueprints, sketches, models, or specifications to plan sequences of operations for fabricating tools, dies, or assemblies.
  • Fit and assemble parts to make, repair, or modify dies, jigs, gauges, and tools, using machine tools, hand tools, or welders.
  • Inspect finished dies for smoothness, contour conformity, and defects.
  • Select metals to be used from a range of metals and alloys, based on properties such as hardness or heat tolerance.
  • Smooth and polish flat and contoured surfaces of parts or tools, using scrapers, abrasive stones, files, emery cloths, or power grinders.
  • Conduct test runs with completed tools or dies to ensure that parts meet specifications, making adjustments as necessary.
  • Develop and design new tools and dies, using computer-aided design software.

Salary & Job Openings

Median Salary (Yearly Pay)

Tap or scroll over map to see median salaries for each state

Future Jobs

Blast-Off:

How Will Machinist and Tool and Die Maker Jobs Grow by 2034?
Projected % Growth
Rapid growth
(10% or higher)
Much faster than average
(7% - 10%)
Faster than average
(5% - 7%)
About as fast as average
(3% - 5%)
Slower than average
(0% - 3%)
Decreasing
Average of all U.S. jobs (5.3%)
Machinist and Tool and Die Maker jobs (0.00%)
Source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm

Steps to Get There: Becoming a Machinist and Tool and Die Maker

High School Subjects to Study

Aim to study the yellow-shaded subjects.
Math
Algebra 1
Geometry
Algebra 2
Pre-Calculus
Calculus
Statistics
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Environmental Science
Physiology
Bio-Medical / Biotech
IT &
Engineering
Computer Science
Applied Technology
Drafting & CAD Training
Core
English
Foreign Language
Business
Psychology / Sociology

Career Pathway Listen to this section

Machinists and tool and die makers typically gain competency through on-the-job training or an apprenticeship.

Trainees usually learn on the job, which may include technical instruction outside of typical work hours. Trainees often begin as machine operators and gradually take on more difficult assignments. Machinists and tool and die makers must be comfortable using computers to work with CAD/CAM technology, CNC machine tools, and computerized measuring machines. Some machinists become tool and die makers.

Some new workers enter apprenticeship programs, which are typically sponsored by an employer. Apprenticeship programs often consist of paid training on the job and related technical instruction lasting several years. The technical instruction may be provided in cooperation with local community colleges and vocational-technical schools. Workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter an apprenticeship.

Education- Typical Degree Needed After High School Listen to this section

Degree
Post
high school credential
AA
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctoral or Professional Degree

Typical degree for an entry-level position: High school diploma or equivalent ? Types of Degrees and Credentials

Machinists typically need a high school diploma or equivalent; tool and die makers also may need to complete postsecondary courses. High school courses in math, blueprint reading, metalworking, and CAD/CAM are considered useful.

Some community college and technical schools have 2-year degree programs or shorter nondegree certificate programs that train students to become machinists or tool and die makers. These programs usually teach design and how to read engineering drawings, the use of a variety of welding and cutting tools, and the programming and function of CNC machines.

Completing a certification program, though optional, allows machinists and tool and die makers to demonstrate competency and may be helpful for advancement. College and organizations, such as the National Institute for Metalworking Skills, offer certifications and credentials in CNC machine operation, CAD/CAM technology, and other relevant competencies.

Companies That Hire Machinist and Tool and Die Makers

  • Air National Guard
  • Emerson
  • SpaceX
  • Boeing
  • Eaton
  • Walt Disney Company
  • Stanley Black and Decker
  • Aerotek

Try it Out with an Activity or Project

STEM Activities

STEM activities are fun hands-on explorations that usually take from 10 minutes to one hour and use readily available household or classroom materials while introducing you to STEM concepts common in this career.

Science Project Ideas

Project Ideas are in-depth STEM explorations that have a strong focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data suitable for investigating the scientific method or the engineering design process.

On the Job

Role Models

Being a machinist fits Kaila.
"I’m a bit of an artist on my own time,” she says. “This is a different perspective. This is like a sculpture machine. I’m sculpting something that someone else has designed. I’m from a family with artistic ability. We can think outside the box." 
Kaila Machado
As tool and die makers, we create something out of nothing. We will take blank pieces of steel and turn them into tools that will either mold plastic parts or mold metal parts. Tool and die is, if you ask me, one of the more unknown skill based careers. Everyone’s heard of electricians, everyone’s heard of mechanics, everyone’s heard of millwrights. There is a huge need for tool and die makers in the future, just because there’s not a lot of people going into it. -Tony Tinge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5WyUt1sC0o
With the knowledge and skills I’ve learned over the years, you get that sense that nothing is impossible. -Ben
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf5EbDLL094

Nature of the Work

Machinists use milling machines, grinders, and other machine tools to produce precise metal parts. Many machinists must be able to use both manual and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machinery. A CNC machine controls the cutting tool speed and cuts the metal part. The machinist gives the CNC machine instructions to tell the machine where to cut, how fast to cute and how fast to feed the part into the machine. Although workers may make a lot of one part, a precision mechanic may make a single item or a small batch of items. The parts they may make include steel bolts, titanium screws, and engine pistons.

Some machinists repair broken parts or make new parts. The machinist refers to engineering drawings to create the replacement. Some machine tools use lasers, water jets, and electrified wires to cut the piece. As engineers design and build new types of machine tools, machinists must learn new machining properties and techniques.

Tool and die makers construct precision tools or metal forms, called dies, that are used to cut, shape, and mold metal, plastics, and other materials. Tool and die makers use computer-aided design (CAD) to develop products and parts. They enter designs into computer programs that produce blueprints for the required tools and dies. Tool and die makers often are trained to operate CNC machines and write CNC programs.

Work Environment

Machinists typically work in manufacturing environments or in a machine shop. Tool and die makers typically work in machinery manufacturing, vehicle parts manufacturing, plastics manufacturing or machine shops.

Many machinists and tool and die makers work full time during regular business hours. However, some work nights and weekends in facilities that operate around the clock. Some work more than 40 hours a week.

More Information

Ask Questions

Do you have a specific question about a career as a Machinist and Tool and Die Maker that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Additional Resources

Sources
Top
Quick Links X
Free science fair projects.