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

A CNC Set Up Operator's salary grows with experience: a CNC Machine Operator I (1-3 years)earns $49,823, a CNC Set Up Operator (3-5 years)earns $63,029, a CNC Machine Operator III (5-7 years)earns $71,729,

What are the highest paying states for a CNC Set Up Operator?

CNC Set Up Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for CNC Set Up Operator roles are District of Columbia $70,897, California $70,628, Massachusetts $69,687. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of CNC Set Up Operator roles make?

Salaries for CNC Set Up Operator level roles vary by specialization: CNC Programmer/Set-Up IV: $119,390; CNC Programmer/Set-Up III: $85,290; CNC Set Up Machinist: $73,794; CNC Programmer/Set-Up II: $72,390; Equipment Set Up and Monitoring Operator, Experienced: $70,300.

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

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for CNC Set Up 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 Set Up Operator Salary in the United States

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

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a CNC Set Up Operator in the United States is $64,032 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $77,710
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $58,110 to $71,192
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $52,717

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CNC Set Up Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$71,192	$5,933	$1,369	$34
Average	$64,032	$5,336	$1,231	$31
25th Percentile	$58,110	$4,842	$1,117	$28

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Key Factors That Influence CNC Set Up Operator Salaries

A CNC Set Up 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 Set Up 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 Set Up Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $70,897.
California: $70,628.
Massachusetts: $69,687.

District of Columbia $70,897 California $70,628 Massachusetts $69,687 Washington $69,430 New Jersey $69,405 Alaska $69,315 Connecticut $68,432 New York $68,073

Hawaii $66,927 Rhode Island $66,389 Maryland $66,024 Minnesota $65,524 Colorado $65,332 Illinois $65,268 Oregon $65,025 Delaware $64,846

New Hampshire $64,733 Virginia $64,481 Pennsylvania $63,744 Nevada $63,373 North Dakota $63,251 Michigan $63,059 Wisconsin $62,989 Vermont $62,848

Texas $62,457 Maine $62,432 Arizona $62,393 Ohio $62,348 Georgia $61,759 Indiana $61,465 Wyoming $61,407 Utah $61,318

Iowa $61,279 Kansas $60,972 Louisiana $60,882 North Carolina $60,850 Missouri $60,837 Florida $60,588 Montana $60,453 Nebraska $60,325

Kentucky $60,255 South Carolina $59,998 Tennessee $59,838 Idaho $59,774 New Mexico $59,307 Oklahoma $59,204 Alabama $58,827 South Dakota $58,193

Arkansas $57,847 West Virginia $57,661 Mississippi $57,104

Top Paying Cities for CNC Set Up 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: $80,764
San Francisco: $79,970
Oakland: $78,196

San Jose, CA $80,764

San Francisco, CA $79,970

Oakland, CA $78,196

New York, NY $74,207

Queens Village, NY $73,727

Paramus, NJ $73,215

Passaic, NJ $73,151

Bergenfield, NJ $73,087

Stamford, CT $72,991

Huntington, NY $72,927

Newark, NJ $72,510

Bridgeport, CT $72,382

New Brunswick, NJ $72,171

Vallejo, CA $72,037

Middlesex, NJ $71,998

Somerset, NJ $71,941

Petaluma, CA $71,793

Santa Cruz, CA $71,544

Boston, MA $71,415

Monterey, CA $71,095

Fairbanks, AK $71,050

Los Angeles, CA $70,929

Washington, DC $70,897

Seattle, WA $70,782

Santa Rosa, CA $70,769

Juneau, AK $70,583

Orange, CA $70,372

Anchorage, AK $70,256

Anaheim, CA $70,212

Santa Ana, CA $70,116

Nassau, NY $70,077

Long Beach, CA $70,052

Danbury, CT $70,032

Santa Maria, CA $69,815

Everett, WA $69,802

Bremerton, WA $69,488

Trenton, NJ $69,366

Sacramento, CA $69,341

San Diego, CA $69,309

Brockton, MA $69,283

Tacoma, WA $69,258

Santa Barbara, CA $69,168

Lowell, MA $68,912

New Suffolk, NY $68,886

Nashua, NH $68,809

Lompoc, CA $68,707

Ventura, CA $68,643

Stockton, CA $68,624

New Haven, CT $68,496

Atlantic City, NJ $68,329

Hartford, CT $68,188

Modesto, CA $68,156

Poughkeepsie, NY $68,015

New Britain, CT $67,983

Kennewick, WA $67,894

Olympia, WA $67,894

New London, CT $67,881

Norwich, CT $67,862

Lawrence, MA $67,830

Bakersfield, CA $67,650

New Bedford, MA $67,561

Riverside, CA $67,561

Richland, WA $67,497

Portsmouth, NH $67,445

Vineland, NJ $67,433

San Bernardino, CA $67,381

Boulder, CO $67,202

Worcester, MA $67,151

Portland, OR $67,093

Saint Paul, MN $67,016

Minneapolis, MN $67,016

Philadelphia, PA $66,927

Honolulu, HI $66,587

Springfield, MA $66,363

Providence, RI $66,357

Chicago, IL $66,171

Bellingham, WA $66,094

Baltimore, MD $66,024

Chico, CA $65,864

Wilmington, DE $65,755

Pittsfield, MA $65,691

Manchester, NH $65,569

Spokane, WA $65,288

Denver, CO $65,281

Albany, NY $64,980

Troy, NY $64,955

Schenectady, NY $64,820

Burlington, VT $64,679

Portland, ME $64,455

Salem, OR $64,404

Yakima, WA $64,391

Ann Arbor, MI $64,372

Rochester, MN $64,193

Reno, NV $64,161

Fresno, CA $64,161

Milwaukee, WI $64,103

Detroit, MI $64,039

Allentown, PA $64,020

Carson City, NV $64,013

Houston, TX $63,917

Colorado Springs, CO $63,911

Syracuse, NY $63,879

Eugene, OR $63,757

Gary, IN $63,680

Bismarck, ND $63,680

Galveston, TX $63,680

Springfield, OR $63,629

Medford, OR $63,475

Fort Collins, CO $63,450

Austin, TX $63,399

Mesa, AZ $63,264

Phoenix, AZ $63,251

Dallas, TX $63,232

Reading, PA $63,194

Saint Cloud, MN $63,168

Concord, NH $63,110

Madison, WI $63,085

Utica, NY $62,912

Raleigh, NC $62,861

Las Vegas, NV $62,854

Rochester, NY $62,809

Des Moines, IA $62,803

Atlanta, GA $62,701

Battle Creek, MI $62,681

Salt Lake City, UT $62,662

Lancaster, PA $62,566

Champaign, IL $62,553

Harrisburg, PA $62,477

Durham, NC $62,419

Kansas City, MO $62,412

Kansas City, KS $62,400

Fort Worth, TX $62,393

Boca Raton, FL $62,368

Cleveland, OH $62,361

Columbus, OH $62,348

Pittsburgh, PA $62,342

Richmond, VA $62,316

Indianapolis, IN $62,304

Cincinnati, OH $62,220

Petersburg, VA $62,124

Lansing, MI $61,983

Billings, MT $61,983

Huntsville, AL $61,983

Lebanon, PA $61,977

Pueblo, CO $61,971

Dayton, OH $61,971

Appleton, WI $61,951

Buffalo, NY $61,926

Racine, WI $61,894

Charlotte, NC $61,887

Saint Louis, MO $61,868

Springfield, IL $61,843

York, PA $61,830

Elkhart, IN $61,830

Gastonia, NC $61,823

Benton Harbor, MI $61,823

Beaumont, TX $61,785

Lorain, OH $61,772

Toledo, OH $61,747

Binghamton, NY $61,715

Rock Hill, SC $61,708

Rockford, IL $61,676

Elyria, OH $61,644

Fargo, ND $61,644

Flagstaff, AZ $61,599

Fort Lauderdale, FL $61,561

Miami, FL $61,522

Duluth, MN $61,420

Bangor, ME $61,337

Cedar Rapids, IA $61,266

Louisville, KY $61,234

Grand Rapids, MI $61,221

Hialeah, FL $61,215

Casper, WY $61,125

Scranton, PA $61,049

New Orleans, LA $61,029

Virginia Beach, VA $61,023

Akron, OH $60,991

Peoria, IL $60,908

Sarasota, FL $60,895

Green Bay, WI $60,850

Baton Rouge, LA $60,818

Charleston, SC $60,805

Nashville, TN $60,786

Jamestown, NY $60,773

Davenport, IA $60,773

Tucson, AZ $60,741

Cheyenne, WY $60,722

Saint Petersburg, FL $60,703

Tampa, FL $60,690

Omaha, NE $60,677

Evansville, IN $60,652

Port Arthur, TX $60,652

Bradenton, FL $60,626

Santa Fe, NM $60,511

Orlando, FL $60,447

Clearwater, FL $60,376

La Crosse, WI $60,242

Canton, OH $60,242

Grand Forks, ND $60,223

Tulsa, OK $60,203

Albuquerque, NM $60,203

Newport News, VA $60,197

High Point, NC $60,178

Ogden, UT $60,152

Corpus Christi, TX $60,101

Laramie, WY $60,062

Norfolk, VA $60,062

Rock Island, IL $60,024

Saginaw, MI $60,011

Jacksonville, FL $60,005

Salisbury, NC $59,992

Memphis, TN $59,979

Moline, IL $59,947

Fort Myers, FL $59,928

Waterloo, IA $59,845

Spartanburg, SC $59,781

Lincoln, NE $59,749

Fort Wayne, IN $59,736

Birmingham, AL $59,665

Cedar Falls, IA $59,653

Provo, UT $59,646

Springfield, OH $59,640

San Antonio, TX $59,627

Greensboro, NC $59,601

South Bend, IN $59,595

Winston Salem, NC $59,589

Boise, ID $59,569

Savannah, GA $59,525

Muskegon, MI $59,409

Lima, OH $59,333

Lake Charles, LA $59,307

Anderson, IN $59,294

Lexington, KY $59,275

Augusta, GA $59,256

Greenville, SC $59,256

Wichita, KS $59,198

Tuscaloosa, AL $59,198

Columbia, SC $59,140

Bloomington, IN $58,980

Roanoke, VA $58,942

Asheville, NC $58,859

Knoxville, TN $58,750

Shreveport, LA $58,743

Wilmington, NC $58,660

Frankfort, KY $58,539

Oklahoma City, OK $58,494

Chillicothe, OH $58,468

Longview, TX $58,462

Topeka, KS $58,442

Mobile, AL $58,346

Terre Haute, IN $58,321

Erie, PA $58,314

Altoona, PA $58,282

Melbourne, FL $58,263

Amarillo, TX $58,238

Killeen, TX $58,218

Fayetteville, AR $58,167

Sioux Falls, SD $58,122

Chattanooga, TN $58,084

Idaho Falls, ID $58,077

Gainesville, FL $57,943

Portsmouth, OH $57,911

Little Rock, AR $57,898

Lynchburg, VA $57,898

Youngstown, OH $57,873

Lafayette, LA $57,873

Temple, TX $57,847

Daytona Beach, FL $57,834

Clarksville, TN $57,828

Pensacola, FL $57,821

Hopkinsville, KY $57,629

Charleston, WV $57,623

Florence, SC $57,591

Sioux City, IA $57,552

Macon, GA $57,367

Tallahassee, FL $57,360

Fayetteville, NC $57,348

Wichita Falls, TX $57,335

Waco, TX $57,335

Pine Bluff, AR $57,309

Vincennes, IN $57,187

Lubbock, TX $57,162

Great Falls, MT $57,123

Alamogordo, NM $57,117

Abilene, TX $57,066

Rapid City, SD $56,983

Monroe, LA $56,983

Albany, GA $56,944

Huntington, WV $56,938

Jackson, MS $56,931

Greenville, MS $56,925

Parkersburg, WV $56,861

Montgomery, AL $56,848

Johnstown, PA $56,835

Springfield, MO $56,784

Biloxi, MS $56,752

Sumter, SC $56,618

Columbus, GA $56,611

Twin Falls, ID $56,573

Pascagoula, MS $56,489

Kingsport, TN $56,323

Gulfport, MS $56,304

Alexandria, LA $56,092

Fort Smith, AR $55,932

El Paso, TX $55,759

Helena, MT $55,676

Las Cruces, NM $55,471

Harlingen, TX $55,292

Pocatello, ID $55,234

Florence, AL $55,215

Brownsville, TX $55,202

Dothan, AL $55,100

Mcallen, TX $55,068

Columbus, MS $54,594

Altus, OK $54,300

Lawton, OK $54,178

Pierre, SD $53,947

What Skills Can Increase a CNC Set Up 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 Set Up 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	$66,594	4%
Written Communication	$65,953	3%
Lean	$65,313	2%
CAD	$64,673	1%
Problem Solving	$64,673	1%
Programming	$64,673	1%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a CNC Set Up Operator's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many CNC Set Up 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 Set Up Operator with a Associate's Degree is between $59,874 and $64,349).

CNC Set Up Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for CNC Set Up 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 Set Up Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a CNC Set Up 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

$58,110

Average $64,032/year

$71,192

$4,842

Average $5,336/month

$5,933

$1,117

Average $1,231/week

$1,369

$28

Average $31/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$71,192	$5,933	$1,369	$34
Average	$64,032	$5,336	$1,231	$31
25th Percentile	$58,110	$4,842	$1,117	$28

Salaries of jobs related to CNC Set Up Operator

Salary Trends for CNC Set Up Operator

Salaries for a CNC Set Up Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $47,819 in 2023 to around $47,364 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of CNC Set Up Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of CNC Set Up Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$47,819

2024

$47,681

2025

$47,364

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$47,819
2024	$47,681
2025	$47,364
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for CNC Set Up Operator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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