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Machinist Resume 2026 - manual and CNC sample with GD&T and metrology free

Антон Литвинов
Антон Литвинов Founder, AI Resume Master
in 𝕏
Published: 25.09.2026 Updated: 25.09.2026

A shop manager can tell from one paragraph whether a machinist has held a part to a tenth or only run a program somebody else wrote. The tells are specific: the tolerances you work to, whether you do your own setups, whether you can read a print with a full GD&T callout structure and decide how to inspect it, and what you have run - manual knee mill and engine lathe, three axis, five axis, Swiss. Then comes the industry, because aerospace and medical work bring AS9100 or ISO 13485, first article inspection and paperwork discipline that general job shops do not. Everything on the page should be measurable, because the whole trade is. Below is a full sample written the way precision shops actually read them.

What you get

  • A complete machinist resume sample, manual and CNC
  • 3 PDF templates
  • A formula for writing tolerances, setups and inspection
  • 6 mistakes that get machinist resumes skipped
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Ready sample

Machinist resume sample

Machines and controls first, then tolerances and GD&T, then the parts you made with materials, quantities and scrap rate attached.

Machines and controls, named

Manual mill and lathe, surface grinder, 3-axis and 5-axis machining centers, turning centers with live tooling, Swiss. Add the controls and the CAM software, because those decide how fast you are useful.

Tolerance is the real skill statement

Working to plus or minus 0.0005 in on a routine part is a different job from plus or minus 0.005 in. Put the tolerance band you hold in the summary, and mention the tightest work you have done.

Setup or operation

A machinist who does his own setups - workholding, tooling, offsets, first article - is paid for something different than a button pusher. If you set up, say so in the first two lines.

ATS friendly

Aerospace and medical manufacturers screen through applicant tracking. One column, plain headings, machine and software names as text, no tables, icons or photo.

Sample resume text

Use it as a reference: keep the structure and wording, put in your own facts and numbers.

Katrina Vogel

Machinist - Manual and 5-Axis CNC, Aerospace and Medical
Hartford, Connecticut
k.vogel.machining@example.com
(860) 555-0154
linkedin.com/in/example

Profile

Machinist with 12 years in aerospace and medical device manufacturing. Manual mill, engine lathe and surface grinder alongside 3- and 5-axis machining centers on Fanuc and Haas controls, doing own setups from raw stock through first article. Routine work at plus or minus 0.0005 in on 17-4 stainless, Inconel and titanium, reading full GD&T per ASME Y14.5. Cut setup time on a repeat part family by 40% and holds scrap under 1%.

Experience

Machinist - 5-Axis and Setup2018 - present

Nutmeg Precision Machining Inc (AS9100), Hartford, CT

  • Set up and run 5-axis machining centers producing 17-4 stainless and titanium aerospace brackets to plus or minus 0.0005 in true position, roughly 9,000 parts a year with scrap under 1%
  • Completed AS9102 first article documentation on 40+ new part numbers with a first-submission acceptance rate above 95%
  • Redesigned workholding on a repeat bracket family, cutting average setup time from 4.5 hours to 2.7 and adding capacity without new equipment
  • Wrote and maintained setup sheets that let second shift run the same jobs without first shift support
CNC Machinist2014 - 2018

Fairview Medical Components LLC (ISO 13485), New Britain, CT

  • Machined surgical instrument components in 316L stainless and titanium on 3-axis mills and Swiss-type lathes, holding bore tolerances to plus or minus 0.0002 in
  • Ran in-process inspection and SPC data collection on a high volume family, keeping process capability inside customer requirements for three consecutive years
  • Trained four operators on offset adjustment and in-process gauging, reducing dependence on setup staff during night shift
Machinist Apprentice2011 - 2014

Fairview Medical Components LLC, New Britain, CT

  • Completed a registered machinist apprenticeship covering manual milling, turning, grinding and CNC operation
  • Progressed from deburring and operation to independent setups on 3-axis mills by the final year

Education

Asnuntuck Community College, Enfield, CT2009 - 2011

Manufacturing Technology, AS degree

New Britain High School, New Britain, CT2005 - 2009

High School Diploma

Skills

3- and 5-axis milling, Fanuc and Haas controlsManual mill, engine lathe, surface grinderTurning centers with live toolingMastercam programming and G-code editing at the machineGD&T per ASME Y14.5, datum and true position workFixture and soft jaw design, tool presetting, offsetsCMM operation and result interpretationMicrometers, bore gages, gage blocks, optical comparatorAS9102 first article inspection documentationMachining stainless, titanium, Inconel and aluminum

Training and Certifications

  • NIMS credentials: CNC milling and turning, measurement and inspection
  • Machinist apprenticeship completed - 2014
  • GD&T training based on ASME Y14.5 - 2016
  • Mastercam mill and multiaxis training - 2019
  • CMM operation and programming training - 2021
  • AS9100 awareness and first article inspection training - 2020

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Profile

Machinist profile summary

Four lines: years in the trade, manual and CNC experience, the machines and controls you run, the tolerance band you hold routinely, the materials, and the industries you have worked in. Add one number - scrap rate, setup time, first article pass rate. The rest of the resume is evidence for this paragraph.

Coming out of a program or an apprenticeship, write the same paragraph from training and the parts you actually made: the machines in the shop, the inspection equipment you were taught on, the prints you can read, and any NIMS credentials. Being honest about your tolerance range is not weakness, it is the first sign that you understand the trade.

WeakExperienced machinist skilled in operating CNC and manual machines. Able to read blueprints and use precision measuring instruments. Looking for a position with a quality-focused manufacturer.
StrongMachinist with 12 years in aerospace and medical device work. Manual mill, engine lathe and surface grinder plus 3- and 5-axis machining centers on Fanuc and Haas controls; own setups from raw stock to first article. Routine work at plus or minus 0.0005 in on 17-4 stainless, Inconel and titanium, reading full GD&T per ASME Y14.5. Cut average setup time on a repeat family of parts by 40% and hold scrap under 1%.
Tip
Put a real tolerance number in the summary. 'Tight tolerances' is what people write when they have not held one. 'Plus or minus 0.0002 in on bore diameter, verified on a CMM' is what a shop manager reads twice.
Skills

Machinist skills for a resume

Machines, prints, metrology and process. Write the things you could be asked to demonstrate on a shop floor test, because in precision machining you often are.

Hard skills

  • Manual machining: knee mill, engine lathe, surface grinder, drill press, tool and cutter work
  • CNC milling and turning: 3-axis, 4-axis and 5-axis machining centers, turning centers with live tooling, Swiss-type lathes
  • Controls and programming: Fanuc, Haas and Siemens controls, G-code and M-code editing at the machine, conversational programming
  • CAM software: Mastercam, Fusion 360, Esprit, GibbsCAM or SolidWorks CAM, with post editing where you have done it
  • Setup: workholding and fixture design, soft jaws, collets and chucks, tombstones, tool presetting, work and tool offsets
  • Blueprint and GD&T reading per ASME Y14.5: datum structure, true position, profile, flatness, concentricity, material condition modifiers
  • Metrology: micrometers, calipers, bore and height gages, gage blocks, indicators, thread and pin gages, optical comparator, CMM programs and results
  • Materials and machining strategy: aluminum, stainless, tool steel, titanium, Inconel and plastics, with speeds, feeds and tool life
  • Quality process: first article inspection including AS9102 documentation, in-process checks, SPC, nonconformance reporting
  • Standards environments: AS9100 aerospace, ISO 9001, ISO 13485 medical device, and ITAR controlled work where applicable

Soft skills

  • Patience at setup, because the hour saved there is the scrap avoided later
  • Stopping the machine when the finish or the chip changes, instead of finishing the run and hoping
  • Reading a print carefully enough to ask the engineer the right question before cutting
  • Documenting a setup so the next shift can repeat it without calling you at home
  • Working with quality rather than against it when a part is borderline
  • Teaching an operator why the offset moved, not just what to type
  • Keeping the machine, the tooling and the gages in order - a sloppy bench shows up in the part
  • Suggesting a process improvement without implying the last machinist was a fool
  • Handling a rush job without letting the paperwork slip on a regulated part
  • Telling the scheduler honestly how long a setup will take
Experience

How to write machinist experience

Formula: machine and control plus the part and material plus the tolerance plus the result. A hiring shop wants to know what you can be handed on Monday, and the only way to answer that is with the specifics of parts you have actually produced.

Say whether the work was prototype, low volume or production, because they demand different people. Prototype rewards a machinist who can read a print and improvise a fixture; production rewards cycle time, repeatability and scrap control. Name the industry too - aerospace, medical, defense, automotive - because the quality system comes with it.

Weak- Set up and operated CNC and manual machines to produce parts according to blueprints and specifications.
Strong- Set up and ran 5-axis machining centers on Fanuc control producing 17-4 stainless and titanium aerospace brackets to plus or minus 0.0005 in true position, completing AS9102 first article documentation and holding scrap under 1% across roughly 9,000 parts a year.
What to include
Machines and controls - part types and materials - tolerance band - prototype, low volume or production - setup time and cycle time - scrap and first article pass rate - quality system you worked under.
Education

Training, apprenticeship and certifications

Machining is not individually licensed, so the credentials that count are the ones that show somebody measured your skill: an apprenticeship, a machining technology program, and NIMS credentials, which are awarded by the National Institute for Metalworking Skills against specific machining tasks. Put them above education and name what each one covers.

  • Apprenticeship or journeyman machinist program, with the completion year and the machines it covered
  • NIMS credentials by the specific area - for example machining level credentials in milling, turning, grinding or measurement and inspection
  • Machining technology or manufacturing program at a community or technical college, with subjects named
  • GD&T training, with the standard it was based on
  • CAM software training and version, and any post processor work you have done
  • CMM programming or operation training, with the software
  • Quality system training: AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 13485 internal auditor or awareness training
  • Manufacturer training on specific machine tools or control platforms
  • Forklift, crane and rigging certification, plus OSHA training where the shop required it
  • High school diploma or GED, and an associate degree if you have one
Careful
Be exact about programming. 'Programs CNC machines' covers everything from editing an offset to writing a full 5-axis toolpath in CAM. Say which one you do, because the interview will be a print and a question, not a conversation.
Entry level

Machinist resume with no experience

Shops hire out of machining programs and off the operator bench, and they expect to train you. What they cannot train quickly is care - the habit of measuring, documenting and stopping when something looks wrong. So the resume should show evidence of that, not enthusiasm about machines.

Write the program as work: the machines you ran, the materials you cut, the tolerances you were asked to hold, the inspection equipment you used, and the parts you made. Keep a few of them and photograph them. A first-year candidate who can hand over a print and the part he made from it, with his own inspection numbers, is an easy hire.

  • Machining program or apprenticeship with the machines, controls and materials covered
  • NIMS credentials you have already earned, named by area
  • Tolerances you were required to hold in the program, stated honestly
  • Inspection equipment you can use: micrometers, calipers, indicators, height gage, comparator
  • Blueprint and GD&T coursework, with the standard named
  • Sample parts or a portfolio with the print and your inspection results
  • Any manufacturing floor work: machine operator, assembly, deburring, inspection, material handling
  • Reliability and shift flexibility, since most shops run more than one shift

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Mistakes

Common mistakes

No tolerance numbers anywhere

'Tight tolerances' and 'precision parts' are filler. The tolerance band you hold routinely, and the tightest feature you have produced, are the two numbers a shop manager is actually looking for.

Setup and operation left blurred

Setting up from raw stock is a different job from loading parts into a running cell. Say clearly which you do, including whether you do your own tooling, offsets and first article.

GD&T claimed but not demonstrated

Naming datum structures, true position, profile and material condition modifiers proves it. Writing 'familiar with GD&T' proves only that you have seen the abbreviation.

Machines listed without controls or materials

A 5-axis on Fanuc cutting Inconel and a 3-axis on Haas cutting aluminum are different skills. List the machine, the control and the material together.

No quality system named

Aerospace and medical shops care whether you have worked under AS9100 or ISO 13485, done first article documentation and handled nonconformances. Leaving it out means you look like general job shop only.

A decorated template

Skill bars and columns bury the machine list and confuse the parser. Plain single column, no photo, machines and software written out in text.

Takeaways

Takeaways

Remember

  • Tolerance band in the summary, with a real number
  • Machines, controls and materials listed together
  • Say whether you do your own setups
  • GD&T shown through the callouts you work with
  • Scrap rate, setup time, first article pass rate
  • Quality system named: AS9100, ISO 9001, ISO 13485
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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Machines and controls, then tolerance. Something like: manual mill, lathe and surface grinder plus 3- and 5-axis machining centers on Fanuc and Haas; own setups from raw stock to first article; routine work at plus or minus 0.0005 in on stainless and titanium. That sentence tells a shop manager what you can be handed, at what precision, on what material - which is the entire hiring question in precision machining.
By using it. Name the datum structure you work from, the controls you see most - true position, profile of a surface, flatness, perpendicularity - and the material condition modifiers. Then describe an inspection decision you made because of a callout: how you set datums for a CMM program, or why a feature had to be measured a particular way. GD&T is defined in ASME Y14.5, so naming the standard is fine, but the proof is in how you talk about the callouts.
In most precision shops, yes, and often more than applicants expect. Manual work is where you learn feel, tool pressure, deflection and the consequences of a bad setup, and it stays useful for prototypes, fixtures, rework and secondary operations that are not worth programming. List your manual machines alongside the CNC ones, and mention the manual work you still do - tooling, fixtures, one-off parts, repairs to shop equipment.
Explicitly, because the pay and the hire are different. If you set up, say what that includes: selecting and building workholding, presetting tooling, proving out a program, setting work and tool offsets, running and documenting a first article, and handing a repeatable setup sheet to the next shift. If your role has been running established setups, write it accurately and show the parts of setup you already do, such as offset adjustment, tool changes and in-process inspection. Overstating this gets found out on the first job.
The quality system and the paperwork. Name AS9100 or ISO 13485, describe first article inspection work including AS9102 documentation for aerospace, in-process inspection, traceability and lot control, nonconformance and corrective action involvement, and any ITAR controlled work you were cleared for. These industries hire for discipline as much as for skill, because a part that is right but undocumented is scrap either way, and the resume should show that you know it.
Yes, with the level of use. There is a difference between opening an existing Mastercam file and editing a toolpath, building programs from a model, and writing or modifying a post processor. Name the software, the version if it is recent, and what you do in it. Also say what you can do at the machine - editing G-code at the control is a distinct and valuable skill, and plenty of good CAM programmers cannot do it confidently.
By listing the instruments and what you were responsible for. Micrometers, bore gages, height gage and gage blocks, indicators, thread and pin gages, optical comparator, surface plate work. Then say whether you run or program a CMM and in what software, whether you performed first article and in-process inspection, and whether you have done gage calibration or SPC data collection. A machinist who can inspect his own work to the print saves the shop a bottleneck, and that is worth stating.
Yes - the sample above and the templates on this page. You can build your own in the builder for free and see the finished layout; downloading the PDF is paid, by subscription or a one-time payment. The templates stay single column and parser safe, which matters because aerospace and medical manufacturers screen applications through software before a human sees them.
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