Machinist market brief · Santa Ana, CA
Machinist Jobs in Santa Ana, CA
154 machinist openings are live in the Santa Ana, CA area from 62 employers, led by Howmet Aerospace, Karman Space & Defense, and ROL1001RBCAI. The middle half of posted salaries runs $41,600–$65,680 a year (median $52,000), from the 92% of listings that disclose pay. Journeyman roles are the largest group, at 38% of openings.
Data updated Oct 16, 2026
Role and market snapshot
A quick read on demand before you open the live listings
Tracked jobs
- 154
- Live machinist openings currently tracked in the Santa Ana market.
Companies hiring
- 62
- Distinct employers represented in this publishable market view.
Median compensation
- $52,000
- 92% of listings provide usable compensation data.
Market analysis
Role-specific demand, level, employer, and compensation signals for this local market
Start with the level mix, then compare current demand, compensation coverage, and employer concentration before opening the live listings.
Level mix
Career ladder
Santa Ana is journeyman-heavy for machinist roles: 57% of currently tracked openings with a derived level sit at journeyman. Apprentice openings exist, but they are a smaller slice of the market.
30-day window
Demand and salary
Current jobs
154
Hiring employers
62
Salary coverage
92%
Median experience
3.0 years
Within this market
Employer tier lens
Startups & growing teams
84
35 companies · $43,680 median
Established employers
55
17 companies · $61,984 median
Top of market
9
6 companies · $104,000 median
Coverage-gated
Salary distribution
P25
$41,600
P50
$52,000
P75
$65,680
P90
$96,680
Salary figures use annualized USD posted minimum compensation from listings in this market. An employer that posts the same pay on many listings counts once, and figures render only when enough distinct employers disclose pay.
Use Metaintro
Turn this market signal into momentum
Move from aggregate demand to the live roles hiring in this market now.
- Open live machinist listings in Santa Ana
- Compare the level mix before narrowing your search
- Use employer and compensation signals to prioritize outreach
Turn this market brief into a live search.
Use the signal
The best next step is opening the roles behind the aggregate: compare machinist opportunities in Santa Ana, save the strongest fits, and keep the market signal close while you apply.
- 154 live roles tracked in this market.
- 62 employers represented in the current window.
- Market data refreshed Oct 16, 2026.
A practical market plan for Machinist in Santa Ana
Use this sequence to move from aggregate labor-market data to a focused application list.
- 01
Read the demand
154 machinist openings across 62 employers establish the current Santa Ana opportunity set.
- 02
Choose the right rung
Journeyman leads the derived level mix with 58 tracked openings.
- 03
Prioritize employers
Howmet Aerospace is one of the most active visible employers, with 13 current openings in this market view.
- 04
Open the live roles
24 representative openings connect this brief to jobs you can review now.
With Metaintro
Keep market research, live opportunities, saved roles, and the evidence behind your applications moving in one focused loop.
Where this market is hiring
Move from the Santa Ana market view into active employers and representative machinist openings
Employer activity · 62 companies
Who is hiring in this market
The most active visible employers, ordered by openings represented in the current market sample.
Live opportunity sample · 24 of 154 matches
Representative openings
Open a role to inspect the full requirements. Compensation appears only when the listing provides usable salary data.
More machinist openings in Santa Ana
- CNC Lathe Machinist - 1st Shift · Karman Space & Defense
- CNC Programmer - (Manufacturing) · Nesco Resource
- CNC Machinist - D Shift (10-hour Shifts: Thursday - Sunday) · RBC Bearings
- CNC Machinist - 2nd Shift · RBC Bearings
- Machine Operator - Stator Vane Cell · RBC Bearings
- Hone Machine Operator - 2nd Shift · RBC Bearings
- Machine Operator - D Shift (10-hour Shifts: Thursday - Sunday) · RBC Bearings
- CNC Mill Machinist - 1st Shift · Karman Space & Defense
- CNC Multi-Spindle Turn Ctr Op · Griswold Industries dba Cla-Val
- CNC Operator · Karman Space & Defense
- CNC Lathe Machinist - 2nd Shift · Karman Space & Defense
- CNC Router Operator, 2nd Shift · Canopy A&D
- Q/R Machinist C13 · Boeing
- Q/R Machinist C13 · Boeing Aerospace Operations
- R&D Machinist · oratomic
- Q/R Machinist C13 · Boeing
Machinist jobs in Santa Ana: what applicants need to know
Current answers for a difficult AI-era job search, grounded in this publishable role and location market view rather than generic career advice.
- 01
How many machinist jobs are open in Santa Ana?
Metaintro tracks 154 live machinist openings from 62 employers in the Santa Ana, CA area over the last 30 days.
- 02
What do machinist jobs in Santa Ana pay?
The median posted salary is $52,000 a year. The middle half of posted salaries runs $41,600 to $65,680. Based on the 92% of current listings that disclose pay.
- 03
Which experience level has the most machinist openings in Santa Ana?
Journeyman roles lead with 58 openings. Experience level is known for 66% of this market's listings.
- 04
Which companies are hiring for machinist jobs in Santa Ana?
Howmet Aerospace, Karman Space & Defense, ROL1001RBCAI, and ALU have the most open machinist roles here right now, out of 62 hiring employers.
Continue with the next market signal
Compare nearby cities, adjacent roles, and publishable level views without leaving the live jobs cluster
Nearby cities
Compare Machinist demand around Santa Ana.
Related roles
See adjacent role demand in the Santa Ana market.
Level views
Narrow the market to experience levels with enough reliable data.
Built for career movement
Turn the Santa Ana machinist market into your next move.
Use live demand, employer, level, and compensation signals to focus your machinist search where the market is active now.
- MatchCompare live roles against your current evidence.
- PositionTurn proof projects into role-specific applications.
- ImproveUse market feedback to keep the skill plan current.