Went looking for stats [0]:

> Machinists and Tool and Die Makers

> 2023 Median Pay: $53,180/yr, $25.57/hr

Just in case geography matters, since TFA mentions Connecticut, dug down a little further by geography. Note the transition from median to mean here:

> 51-4111 Tool and Die Makers

> Mean wage: $71,360/yr, $34.31/hr,

> 51-4041 Machinists

> Mean wage: $60,290/yr, $28.98/hr

[0] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/machinists-and-tool-and-d...

Bear in mind that Tool & Die makers are pretty much the top caliber of machinists and there are relatively few of them, so wages will naturally be higher. In many parts of the country, machinists report that they struggle to find jobs paying more than about $20/hour.

"In May 2023, the median annual wages for machinists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:"

I.e. we're only looking at the top paying jobs. Then, look at that we're taking a yearly pay to calculate an hourly rate. Fifty hour weeks are more the norm.

Like becoming an auto mechanic, one must become a specialized machinist to make significant money. For example, my dad was an electrical + A/C mechanic to whom dealers contracted work. It follows then one should become a independent contractor in nuclear, mining, or aerospace machining to make significant money.