What are the main factors that influence a CNC Mill Operator's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A CNC Mill Operator's salary?

A CNC Mill Operator's salary grows with experience: a CNC Machine Operator I (1-3 years)earns $50,209, a CNC Mill Operator (3-5 years)earns $63,517, a CNC Machine Operator III (5-7 years)earns $72,284,

What are the highest paying states for a CNC Mill Operator?

CNC Mill Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for CNC Mill Operator roles are District of Columbia $70,355, California $70,088, Massachusetts $69,154. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of CNC Mill Operator roles make?

Salaries for CNC Mill Operator level roles vary by specialization: Boring Mill Operator: $77,391; Cnc Mill Programmer: $72,268; Mill Operator: $62,638; Cnc Mill Machinist: $62,553; Tube Mill Operator: $61,611.

How do different companies affect a CNC Mill Operator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for CNC Mill Operator roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

CNC Mill Operator Salary in the United States

How much does a CNC Mill Operator make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a CNC Mill Operator in the United States is $63,543 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

However, a CNC Mill Operator's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $76,653
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $57,563 to $70,405
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $52,119

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CNC Mill Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,405	$5,867	$1,354	$34
Average	$63,543	$5,295	$1,222	$31
25th Percentile	$57,563	$4,797	$1,107	$28

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Check out CNC Mill Operator Job Openings in the United States

CNC MILL OPERATOR - 2ND SHIFT - EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Hi-Tek Manufacturing Inc - Mason, OH

CNC MACHINIST - MILL

Select Industries Corp - Dayton, OH

CNC CUTTER / HOT BEND OPERATOR - 3RD SHIFT (M - TH, 9 PM - 7 AM)

U.S. Tsubaki Power Transmission, LLC - Sandusky, OH

CNC OPERATOR/ PROGRAMMER

ohio carbon blank - Willoughby, OH

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Key Factors That Influence CNC Mill Operator Salaries

A CNC Mill Operator's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do CNC Mill Operator Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract CNC Mill Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $70,355.
California: $70,088.
Massachusetts: $69,154.

District of Columbia $70,355 California $70,088 Massachusetts $69,154 Washington $68,899 New Jersey $68,874 Alaska $68,785 Connecticut $67,908 New York $67,552

Hawaii $66,415 Rhode Island $65,881 Maryland $65,519 Minnesota $65,023 Colorado $64,833 Illinois $64,769 Oregon $64,528 Delaware $64,350

New Hampshire $64,238 Virginia $63,988 Pennsylvania $63,257 Nevada $62,888 North Dakota $62,768 Michigan $62,577 Wisconsin $62,507 Vermont $62,367

Texas $61,980 Maine $61,954 Arizona $61,916 Ohio $61,872 Georgia $61,287 Indiana $60,995 Wyoming $60,937 Utah $60,849

Iowa $60,810 Kansas $60,505 Louisiana $60,416 North Carolina $60,385 Missouri $60,372 Florida $60,124 Montana $59,991 Nebraska $59,864

Kentucky $59,794 South Carolina $59,540 Tennessee $59,381 Idaho $59,317 New Mexico $58,853 Oklahoma $58,752 Alabama $58,377 South Dakota $57,748

Arkansas $57,405 West Virginia $57,220 Mississippi $56,667

Top Paying Cities for CNC Mill Operators

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $80,146
San Francisco: $79,359
Oakland: $77,598

San Jose, CA $80,146

San Francisco, CA $79,359

Oakland, CA $77,598

New York, NY $73,640

Queens Village, NY $73,163

Paramus, NJ $72,655

Passaic, NJ $72,591

Bergenfield, NJ $72,528

Stamford, CT $72,432

Huntington, NY $72,369

Newark, NJ $71,956

Bridgeport, CT $71,829

New Brunswick, NJ $71,619

Vallejo, CA $71,486

Middlesex, NJ $71,447

Somerset, NJ $71,390

Petaluma, CA $71,244

Santa Cruz, CA $70,996

Boston, MA $70,869

Monterey, CA $70,552

Fairbanks, AK $70,507

Los Angeles, CA $70,386

Washington, DC $70,355

Seattle, WA $70,240

Santa Rosa, CA $70,227

Juneau, AK $70,043

Orange, CA $69,833

Anchorage, AK $69,719

Anaheim, CA $69,675

Santa Ana, CA $69,579

Nassau, NY $69,541

Long Beach, CA $69,516

Danbury, CT $69,497

Santa Maria, CA $69,281

Everett, WA $69,268

Bremerton, WA $68,957

Trenton, NJ $68,836

Sacramento, CA $68,810

San Diego, CA $68,779

Brockton, MA $68,753

Tacoma, WA $68,728

Santa Barbara, CA $68,639

Lowell, MA $68,385

New Suffolk, NY $68,359

Nashua, NH $68,283

Lompoc, CA $68,181

Ventura, CA $68,118

Stockton, CA $68,099

New Haven, CT $67,972

Atlantic City, NJ $67,806

Hartford, CT $67,667

Modesto, CA $67,635

Poughkeepsie, NY $67,495

New Britain, CT $67,463

Kennewick, WA $67,374

Olympia, WA $67,374

New London, CT $67,362

Norwich, CT $67,343

Lawrence, MA $67,311

Bakersfield, CA $67,133

New Bedford, MA $67,044

Riverside, CA $67,044

Richland, WA $66,980

Portsmouth, NH $66,930

Vineland, NJ $66,917

San Bernardino, CA $66,866

Boulder, CO $66,688

Worcester, MA $66,637

Portland, OR $66,580

Saint Paul, MN $66,504

Minneapolis, MN $66,504

Philadelphia, PA $66,415

Honolulu, HI $66,078

Springfield, MA $65,856

Providence, RI $65,849

Chicago, IL $65,665

Bellingham, WA $65,589

Baltimore, MD $65,519

Chico, CA $65,360

Wilmington, DE $65,252

Pittsfield, MA $65,189

Manchester, NH $65,068

Spokane, WA $64,788

Denver, CO $64,782

Albany, NY $64,483

Troy, NY $64,458

Schenectady, NY $64,324

Burlington, VT $64,185

Portland, ME $63,962

Salem, OR $63,911

Yakima, WA $63,899

Ann Arbor, MI $63,880

Rochester, MN $63,702

Reno, NV $63,670

Fresno, CA $63,670

Milwaukee, WI $63,613

Detroit, MI $63,549

Allentown, PA $63,530

Carson City, NV $63,524

Houston, TX $63,428

Colorado Springs, CO $63,422

Syracuse, NY $63,390

Eugene, OR $63,270

Gary, IN $63,193

Bismarck, ND $63,193

Galveston, TX $63,193

Springfield, OR $63,142

Medford, OR $62,990

Fort Collins, CO $62,965

Austin, TX $62,914

Mesa, AZ $62,780

Phoenix, AZ $62,768

Dallas, TX $62,748

Reading, PA $62,710

Saint Cloud, MN $62,685

Concord, NH $62,628

Madison, WI $62,602

Utica, NY $62,431

Raleigh, NC $62,380

Las Vegas, NV $62,374

Rochester, NY $62,329

Des Moines, IA $62,323

Atlanta, GA $62,221

Battle Creek, MI $62,202

Salt Lake City, UT $62,183

Lancaster, PA $62,088

Champaign, IL $62,075

Harrisburg, PA $61,999

Durham, NC $61,941

Kansas City, MO $61,935

Kansas City, KS $61,922

Fort Worth, TX $61,916

Boca Raton, FL $61,891

Cleveland, OH $61,884

Columbus, OH $61,872

Pittsburgh, PA $61,865

Richmond, VA $61,840

Indianapolis, IN $61,827

Cincinnati, OH $61,744

Petersburg, VA $61,649

Lansing, MI $61,509

Billings, MT $61,509

Huntsville, AL $61,509

Lebanon, PA $61,503

Pueblo, CO $61,497

Dayton, OH $61,497

Appleton, WI $61,478

Buffalo, NY $61,452

Racine, WI $61,420

Charlotte, NC $61,414

Saint Louis, MO $61,395

Springfield, IL $61,370

York, PA $61,357

Elkhart, IN $61,357

Gastonia, NC $61,351

Benton Harbor, MI $61,351

Beaumont, TX $61,312

Lorain, OH $61,300

Toledo, OH $61,274

Binghamton, NY $61,243

Rock Hill, SC $61,236

Rockford, IL $61,204

Elyria, OH $61,173

Fargo, ND $61,173

Flagstaff, AZ $61,128

Fort Lauderdale, FL $61,090

Miami, FL $61,052

Duluth, MN $60,950

Bangor, ME $60,868

Cedar Rapids, IA $60,798

Louisville, KY $60,766

Grand Rapids, MI $60,753

Hialeah, FL $60,747

Casper, WY $60,658

Scranton, PA $60,582

New Orleans, LA $60,563

Virginia Beach, VA $60,556

Akron, OH $60,524

Peoria, IL $60,442

Sarasota, FL $60,429

Green Bay, WI $60,385

Baton Rouge, LA $60,353

Charleston, SC $60,340

Nashville, TN $60,321

Jamestown, NY $60,308

Davenport, IA $60,308

Tucson, AZ $60,277

Cheyenne, WY $60,258

Saint Petersburg, FL $60,239

Tampa, FL $60,226

Omaha, NE $60,213

Evansville, IN $60,188

Port Arthur, TX $60,188

Bradenton, FL $60,162

Santa Fe, NM $60,048

Orlando, FL $59,984

Clearwater, FL $59,914

La Crosse, WI $59,781

Canton, OH $59,781

Grand Forks, ND $59,762

Tulsa, OK $59,743

Albuquerque, NM $59,743

Newport News, VA $59,737

High Point, NC $59,717

Ogden, UT $59,692

Corpus Christi, TX $59,641

Laramie, WY $59,603

Norfolk, VA $59,603

Rock Island, IL $59,565

Saginaw, MI $59,552

Jacksonville, FL $59,546

Salisbury, NC $59,533

Memphis, TN $59,520

Moline, IL $59,489

Fort Myers, FL $59,470

Waterloo, IA $59,387

Spartanburg, SC $59,324

Lincoln, NE $59,292

Fort Wayne, IN $59,279

Birmingham, AL $59,209

Cedar Falls, IA $59,196

Provo, UT $59,190

Springfield, OH $59,184

San Antonio, TX $59,171

Greensboro, NC $59,146

South Bend, IN $59,139

Winston Salem, NC $59,133

Boise, ID $59,114

Savannah, GA $59,069

Muskegon, MI $58,955

Lima, OH $58,879

Lake Charles, LA $58,853

Anderson, IN $58,841

Lexington, KY $58,822

Augusta, GA $58,802

Greenville, SC $58,802

Wichita, KS $58,745

Tuscaloosa, AL $58,745

Columbia, SC $58,688

Bloomington, IN $58,529

Roanoke, VA $58,491

Asheville, NC $58,408

Knoxville, TN $58,300

Shreveport, LA $58,294

Wilmington, NC $58,212

Frankfort, KY $58,091

Oklahoma City, OK $58,046

Chillicothe, OH $58,021

Longview, TX $58,015

Topeka, KS $57,995

Mobile, AL $57,900

Terre Haute, IN $57,875

Erie, PA $57,868

Altoona, PA $57,837

Melbourne, FL $57,818

Amarillo, TX $57,792

Killeen, TX $57,773

Fayetteville, AR $57,722

Sioux Falls, SD $57,678

Chattanooga, TN $57,640

Idaho Falls, ID $57,633

Gainesville, FL $57,500

Portsmouth, OH $57,468

Little Rock, AR $57,455

Lynchburg, VA $57,455

Youngstown, OH $57,430

Lafayette, LA $57,430

Temple, TX $57,405

Daytona Beach, FL $57,392

Clarksville, TN $57,385

Pensacola, FL $57,379

Hopkinsville, KY $57,188

Charleston, WV $57,182

Florence, SC $57,150

Sioux City, IA $57,112

Macon, GA $56,928

Tallahassee, FL $56,922

Fayetteville, NC $56,909

Wichita Falls, TX $56,896

Waco, TX $56,896

Pine Bluff, AR $56,871

Vincennes, IN $56,750

Lubbock, TX $56,725

Great Falls, MT $56,686

Alamogordo, NM $56,680

Abilene, TX $56,629

Rapid City, SD $56,547

Monroe, LA $56,547

Albany, GA $56,509

Huntington, WV $56,502

Jackson, MS $56,496

Greenville, MS $56,490

Parkersburg, WV $56,426

Montgomery, AL $56,413

Johnstown, PA $56,401

Springfield, MO $56,350

Biloxi, MS $56,318

Sumter, SC $56,184

Columbus, GA $56,178

Twin Falls, ID $56,140

Pascagoula, MS $56,057

Kingsport, TN $55,892

Gulfport, MS $55,873

Alexandria, LA $55,663

Fort Smith, AR $55,505

El Paso, TX $55,333

Helena, MT $55,250

Las Cruces, NM $55,047

Harlingen, TX $54,869

Pocatello, ID $54,812

Florence, AL $54,793

Brownsville, TX $54,780

Dothan, AL $54,679

Mcallen, TX $54,647

Columbus, MS $54,177

Altus, OK $53,884

Lawton, OK $53,764

Pierre, SD $53,535

What Skills Can Increase a CNC Mill Operator's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 1.78% Job Postings): Troubleshooting is a form of problem solving, often applied to repair failed products or processes on a machine or a system. It is a logical, systematic search for the source of a problem in order to solve it, and make the product or process operational again. Troubleshooting is needed to identify the symptoms. Determining the most likely cause is a process of elimination—eliminating potential causes of a problem. Finally, troubleshooting requires confirmation that the solution restores the product or process to its working state. In general, troubleshooting is the identification or diagnosis of "trouble" in the management flow of a system caused by a failure of some kind. The problem is initially described as symptoms of malfunction, and troubleshooting is the process of determining and remedying the causes of these symptoms. A system can be described in terms of its expected, desired or intended behavior (usually, for artificial systems, its purpose). Events or inputs to the system are expected to generate specific results or outputs. (For example, selecting the "print" option from various computer applications is intended to result in a hardcopy emerging from some specific device). Any unexpected or undesirable behavior is a symptom. Troubleshooting is the process of isolating the specific cause or causes of the symptom. Frequently the symptom is a failure of the product or process to produce any results. (Nothing was printed, for example). Corrective action can then be taken to prevent further failures of a similar kind.
Preventative Maintenance (Mentioned in 1.3% Job Postings): Developing and implementing maintenance strategies to increase equipment life expectancy and avoid unplanned downtime.
Preventive Maintenance (Mentioned in 0.98% Job Postings): Preventive maintenance is the act of performing regularly scheduled maintenance activities to help prevent unexpected failures in the future. Put simply, it's about fixing things before they break.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Troubleshooting	1.78%
Preventative Maintenance	1.3%
Preventive Maintenance	0.98%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a CNC Mill Operator's salary.

Initiative: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Written Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Lean: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Initiative	$66,084	4%
Written Communication	$65,449	3%
Lean	$64,814	2%
CAD	$64,178	1%
Problem Solving	$64,178	1%
Programming	$64,178	1%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a CNC Mill Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many CNC Mill Operators enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a CNC Mill Operator with a Associate's Degree is between $59,874 and $64,349).

CNC Mill Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for CNC Mill Operator

No Diploma 1.1%

High School 76.1%

Associates 19.3%

Bachelors 2.3%

Masters 1.1%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.1%
High School	76.1%
Associates	19.3%
Bachelors	2.3%
Masters	1.1%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

CNC Mill Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a CNC Mill Operator's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$57,563

Average $63,543/year

$70,405

$4,797

Average $5,295/month

$5,867

$1,107

Average $1,222/week

$1,354

$28

Average $31/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,405	$5,867	$1,354	$34
Average	$63,543	$5,295	$1,222	$31
25th Percentile	$57,563	$4,797	$1,107	$28

Salaries of jobs related to CNC Mill Operator

Salary Trends for CNC Mill Operator

Salaries for a CNC Mill Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $48,189 in 2023 to around $47,730 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of CNC Mill Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of CNC Mill Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$48,189

2024

$48,051

2025

$47,730

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$48,189
2024	$48,051
2025	$47,730
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for CNC Mill Operator

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401(k)

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Healthcare

Pension

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

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