Machinist Apprenticeship in Kentucky
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 Kentucky: Quick Facts
What apprenticeship means here
A registered machinist apprenticeship in Kentucky 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.
Kentucky pay vs. national
Median machinist wages in Kentucky are $53,630/year, -4% below the national median of $56,150. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.
Where to find programs
Kentucky has 16 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 — Kentucky-specific outlook can vary from national figures.
Kentucky Wage Spread
Annual wages for Machinists in Kentucky across all experience levels.
Current Machinist Apprenticeship Openings in Kentucky
No machinist apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for Kentucky. 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 Kentucky
16 machinist-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for Kentucky. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current machinist apprenticeship openings.
| Organization | City |
|---|---|
| Kentucky Machine & Engineering, Inc. | Cadiz |
| Prestige Tool and Die LLC | Corydon |
| WHITWORTH TOOL INC | Hardinsburg |
| Fives Machining Systems, Inc | Hebron |
| ROYSTER MACHINE SHOP | Henderson |
| Sunrise Tool & Die | Henderson |
| ATLAS MACHINE & SUPPLY INC | Louisville |
| C & S MACHINE AND MANUFACTURING CORPORATION | Louisville |
| J & J TOOL INC. | Louisville |
| Kentucky Machine and Tool | Louisville |
| LOUISVILLE MACHINISTS | Louisville |
| Machine and Components Industries | Louisville |
| Mission Tool & Machine, LLC | Louisville |
| WHELAN MACHINE & TOOL CO INC | Louisville |
| Madison Tool and Die Company | Richmond |
| WADE MACHINE & ENGINEERING | Russellville |
Filter by occupation code 51-4041 and state KY for the most relevant results.
Machinist Apprenticeship in Kentucky
Program availability in Kentucky is moderate: 16 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.