Machinist Apprenticeship in California
Machinists set up and operate the lathes, mills, and CNC machines that turn raw metal into precision parts — aerospace components, medical devices, automotive internals. The job mixes shop-floor operation with blueprint reading, CAM programming, and quality inspection.
Machinist Apprenticeship in California: Quick Facts
What apprenticeship means here
A registered machinist apprenticeship in California combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 4.0 years and follow a time-based structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.
California pay vs. national
Median machinist wages in California are $56,220/year, +0% above the national median of $56,150. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.
Where to find programs
California has 12 registered apprenticeship sponsors for machinist listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.
Job-market outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 0.0% job growth for machinists nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 29,500 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — California-specific outlook can vary from national figures.
California Wage Spread
Annual wages for Machinists in California across all experience levels.
Current Machinist Apprenticeship Openings in California
No machinist apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for California. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.
Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.
Machinist Apprenticeship Sponsors in California
12 machinist-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for California. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current machinist apprenticeship openings.
| Organization | City |
|---|---|
| Moseys Productions Machinists Inc. | Anaheim |
| S&H Machine | Burbank |
| Machinist and Metalworking Trades Apprenticeship | Ontario |
| CA Tooling & Machining Apprenticeship Association | Petaluma |
| El Dorado Molds, Inc | Rancho Cordova |
| CUSTOM CUTTING TOOLS | San Diego |
| SANTA CLARA & SAN BENITO COUNTIES MACHINIST JOINT APPRENTICESHIP AND TRAINING COMMITTEE | San Jose |
| 6S Machining Enterprises | San Marcos |
| SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TOOL & DIE MOLD, MACHINIST & METAL WORKING TRADES APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEE | Santa Fe Springs |
| Southern California Tool, Die, Mold, Machinist & Metal Working | Santa Fe Springs |
| Forrest Machining, Inc. | Valencia |
| Meschkat Precision Machining | Valencia |
Filter by occupation code 51-4041 and state CA for the most relevant results.
Machinist Apprenticeship in California
Program availability in California is moderate: 12 Machinist-related sponsors in our directory. Candidates in major cities will find multiple options; those in smaller markets may need to commute or relocate within the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prefer Trade School Instead?
Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Machinists also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.