Manufacturing Compensation Intelligence

You're Losing Machinists
Because You're Paying
2021 Rates.

214 manufacturing roles benchmarked — from CNC machinists on third shift to plant managers overseeing six production lines — updated quarterly across 4,800+ facilities in 18 states.

Score Your Pay Competitiveness See the data

4,800+

Facilities benchmarked

214

Manufacturing roles mapped

Q1 2026

Last data refresh

18 states

Regional coverage

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CNC MachinistTool & Die MakerMaintenance ElectricianProduction SupervisorQuality Inspector IIWelding TechnicianPlant ManagerToolmakerPress OperatorIndustrial MechanicCNC MachinistTool & Die MakerMaintenance ElectricianProduction SupervisorQuality Inspector IIWelding TechnicianPlant ManagerToolmakerPress OperatorIndustrial Mechanic

// Live Benchmark Data — Q1 2026

The Numbers
Your Competitors Already Have.

Regional medians. Percentile bands. Shift differentials. Year-over-year movement. Every row is a role you're hiring for right now.

Role Title	Dept	25th %ile	Median	75th %ile	Shift Diff.	YoY Δ	Region
CNC Machinist III	Machining	$52,400	$61,800	$73,200	+$4.20/hr	+6.8%	Midwest
Tool & Die Maker	Toolroom	$58,100	$68,900	$81,400	+$3.75/hr	+7.2%	Great Lakes
Maintenance Electrician ✦ Unlocked Preview	Facilities	$61,200	$72,600	$86,100	+$5.10/hr	+8.1%	Southeast
Quality Inspector II	Quality	$44,300	$52,700	$62,400	+$2.90/hr	+5.4%	Mid-Atlantic
Production Supervisor	Operations	$68,800	$81,200	$96,500	+$0/hr	+5.9%	Midwest
Welding Technician	Fabrication	$47,600	$56,300	$67,800	+$3.20/hr	+6.1%	Southeast
Plant Manager	Leadership	$94,200	$118,400	$144,700	+$0/hr	+4.8%	National

Full dataset unlocked after competitiveness assessment. No credit card required.

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COST

// The Math Nobody Wants to Run

Every Underpaid Offer
Has a Line Item.

1.9M

Manufacturing roles projected unfilled by 2033

Manufacturing Institute

71%

Of manufacturers struggling to source skilled workers in 2024

Industry Survey

+5%

Median manufacturing salary increase 2024→2025

BLS / Industry Data

36%

Average annual turnover in food processing

JOLTS Survey

Role	Turnover Rate	Per-Hire Cost	Annual Exposure	Basis
CNC Machinist	34%	$28,400	$142,000	Per 5-person department at median wage
Maintenance Electrician	18%	$41,200	$82,400	Includes 6-week productivity gap
Production Supervisor	22%	$54,800	$109,600	Includes line disruption cost

Replacement cost modeled at 40–60% of annual salary (recruiting, training, productivity loss). Sources: SHRM, Manufacturing Institute, BLS JOLTS.

"The hidden costs of turnover and overtime are quietly inflating per-unit labor costs. Most leaders focus on the hourly rate. The real number is in the replacement math."

Benchmark Research Brief — Q4 2025

// Wage Migration Intelligence

The Shop Across Town
Is Paying More. Here's How Much.

Great Lakes Corridor

MI · OH · IN · IL

+8.1%

YoY wage growth

Highest Pressure Role

Tool & Die Maker

Labor Market Pressure

Critical

Automotive supplier concentration driving toolmaker wages above national median by 12–18%. Shops in Detroit metro losing skilled trades to Tier 1 OEM suppliers.

Full regional dataset available in competitiveness report

RESULTS

// Comp Directors. HR Directors. CFOs.

They Stopped Guessing.
Here's What Changed.

"We were offering $68,000 for a Production Supervisor in Chattanooga. Benchmark showed us the regional 50th percentile was $76,400. We adjusted. Closed three offers in the next six weeks that had been stalling for months."

↑ Offer acceptance rate: 58% → 84%

Renata Kowalski

VP Compensation

Tier 2 Automotive Supplier

1,200 employees · Tennessee

"Our toolmakers were leaving for the shop three miles away. We had no idea what they were paying until we ran the Benchmark assessment. The shift differential data alone changed how we structured our third-shift offer."

↑ Toolmaker turnover: 28% → 11% in 12 months

Darnell Washington

HR Director

Precision Machining Manufacturer

340 employees · Ohio

"I was reconciling wage inflation against margin compression with nothing but a salary survey from 18 months ago. Benchmark's quarterly data gave me numbers I could actually defend in a board meeting."

↑ Labor cost variance reduced by $1.4M annually

Patricia Nguyen

CFO

Food Processing Conglomerate

2,800 employees · Iowa/Nebraska

// 4-Minute Assessment

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Competitiveness

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You're Losing MachinistsBecause You're Paying2021 Rates.

The NumbersYour Competitors Already Have.

Every Underpaid OfferHas a Line Item.

The Shop Across TownIs Paying More. Here's How Much.