We surveyed 2,157 machinists to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical machinist. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a machinist?

Low

High

Working as a machinist typically doesn’t require the use of high levels of intelligence in daily tasks.

Can I learn to become a machinist?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a machinist typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a machinist?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically not very difficult to find a job as a machinist. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for machinists.

Info

Do machinists work full-time or part-time?

88% of machinists work in full-time roles while 12% work part-time.

Is being a machinist stressful?

Low

High

Machinists tend not to find their jobs stressful, which likely contributes positively to career satisfaction.

Is being organized important as a machinist?

Low

High

Organization is not considered a particuarly important part of being a machinist.

How competitive is the workplace for machinists?

Low

High

Competition at work is not common for machinists.

Does being a machinist require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

Time pressure tends not to be a major contributor of stress for machinists.

Are machinists allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

Machinists rarely get a chance to express themselves creatively.

Do machinists have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

Machinists tend to have a set and inflexible work schedule that they are unable to deviate from too much.

Is being a machinist physically demanding?

Low

High

Being a machinist may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.

Are machinists exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

Machinists tend to have a monotonous work routine, with little variety in their day-to-day tasks.

Does being a machinist require attention to detail?

Low

High

As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for machinists.