• Reading and understanding blueprints, charts, and tables
• Making, fitting, and assembling parts using your hands or hand/power tools
• Accurately estimating and measuring sizes and distances; working with numbers
• Laying out work pieces to prepare for the job
• Identifying and comparing slight differences in objects
• Working independently at tasks that require concentration and physical effort

• Secondary school diploma required
• Completion of apprenticeship, including 7,280-hours of on-the-job and in-school training
• Completion of required exams and hours of employment to obtain Journeyperson certificate

• Full-time; may be in small shops with 2-3 machinists or in large ones with hundreds
• Job prospects improve for machinists with CNC programming skills and experience
• Employers include primary steel producers and manufacturers of motor vehicles and parts, machinery and equipment, and aircrafts and parts

Apprentice wage starts lower than a journeyperson's and increases with skill and experience. Fully qualified workers earn an average of $28.85-$40.00 per hour.

General Machinist (429A)

If you checked YES to the majority of these questions, a career as a General Machinist (429A) may be for you!

You might want to look at these similar trades as well;

• Tool & Die Maker
• Millwright
• Locksmith