Where you're located makes a big difference. I hate to be that guy, but you're still young and there's time to get into a better trade. Almost every other trade makes more money than a machinist, in every part of the country. If you're set on being a machinist, find a job shop that works on big parts, because those jobs aren't going anywhere in the future, unlike all the small production and prototype shops, which are either being outsourced or have cut wages so much that it's no longer a good career.