What are the main factors that influence a Cnc Machine 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 Machine Operator's salary?

A Cnc Machine Operator's salary grows with experience: a CNC Machine Operator I (1-3 years)earns $49,527, a Cnc Machine Operator (3-5 years)earns $62,653, a CNC Machine Operator III (5-7 years)earns $71,301,

What are the highest paying states for a Cnc Machine Operator?

Cnc Machine Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Cnc Machine Operator roles are District of Columbia $69,259, California $68,996, Massachusetts $68,076. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Cnc Machine Operator roles make?

Salaries for Cnc Machine Operator level roles vary by specialization: CNC Machine Programmer IV: $119,400; CNC Machine Programmer III: $85,300; CNC Machine Programmer II: $72,400; CNC Laser Machine Operator III: $71,300; CNC Machine Programmer: $64,644.

How do different companies affect a Cnc Machine Operator's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Cnc Machine 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 Machine Operator Salary in the United States

How much does a Cnc Machine Operator make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Cnc Machine Operator in the United States is $62,553 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,612
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $56,161 to $68,865
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $50,341

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Cnc Machine Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,865	$5,739	$1,324	$33
Average	$62,553	$5,213	$1,203	$30
25th Percentile	$56,161	$4,680	$1,080	$27

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Key Factors That Influence Cnc Machine Operator Salaries

A Cnc Machine 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 Machine 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 Machine Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $69,259.
California: $68,996.
Massachusetts: $68,076.

District of Columbia $69,259 California $68,996 Massachusetts $68,076 Washington $67,826 New Jersey $67,801 Alaska $67,714 Connecticut $66,850 New York $66,500

Hawaii $65,380 Rhode Island $64,855 Maryland $64,498 Minnesota $64,010 Colorado $63,823 Illinois $63,760 Oregon $63,523 Delaware $63,347

New Hampshire $63,237 Virginia $62,991 Pennsylvania $62,271 Nevada $61,909 North Dakota $61,790 Michigan $61,602 Wisconsin $61,533 Vermont $61,396

Texas $61,014 Maine $60,989 Arizona $60,952 Ohio $60,908 Georgia $60,332 Indiana $60,045 Wyoming $59,988 Utah $59,901

Iowa $59,863 Kansas $59,563 Louisiana $59,475 North Carolina $59,444 Missouri $59,432 Florida $59,188 Montana $59,056 Nebraska $58,931

Kentucky $58,862 South Carolina $58,612 Tennessee $58,456 Idaho $58,393 New Mexico $57,937 Oklahoma $57,836 Alabama $57,467 South Dakota $56,848

Arkansas $56,510 West Virginia $56,329 Mississippi $55,785

Top Paying Cities for Cnc Machine 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: $78,898
San Francisco: $78,122
Oakland: $76,390

San Jose, CA $78,898

San Francisco, CA $78,122

Oakland, CA $76,390

New York, NY $72,493

Queens Village, NY $72,023

Paramus, NJ $71,523

Passaic, NJ $71,461

Bergenfield, NJ $71,398

Stamford, CT $71,304

Huntington, NY $71,242

Newark, NJ $70,835

Bridgeport, CT $70,710

New Brunswick, NJ $70,503

Vallejo, CA $70,372

Middlesex, NJ $70,335

Somerset, NJ $70,278

Petaluma, CA $70,134

Santa Cruz, CA $69,890

Boston, MA $69,765

Monterey, CA $69,453

Fairbanks, AK $69,409

Los Angeles, CA $69,290

Washington, DC $69,259

Seattle, WA $69,146

Santa Rosa, CA $69,134

Juneau, AK $68,952

Orange, CA $68,746

Anchorage, AK $68,633

Anaheim, CA $68,589

Santa Ana, CA $68,495

Nassau, NY $68,458

Long Beach, CA $68,433

Danbury, CT $68,414

Santa Maria, CA $68,201

Everett, WA $68,189

Bremerton, WA $67,882

Trenton, NJ $67,764

Sacramento, CA $67,739

San Diego, CA $67,707

Brockton, MA $67,682

Tacoma, WA $67,657

Santa Barbara, CA $67,570

Lowell, MA $67,319

New Suffolk, NY $67,294

Nashua, NH $67,219

Lompoc, CA $67,119

Ventura, CA $67,057

Stockton, CA $67,038

New Haven, CT $66,913

Atlantic City, NJ $66,750

Hartford, CT $66,613

Modesto, CA $66,581

Poughkeepsie, NY $66,444

New Britain, CT $66,412

Kennewick, WA $66,325

Olympia, WA $66,325

New London, CT $66,312

Norwich, CT $66,294

Lawrence, MA $66,262

Bakersfield, CA $66,087

New Bedford, MA $66,000

Riverside, CA $66,000

Richland, WA $65,937

Portsmouth, NH $65,887

Vineland, NJ $65,875

San Bernardino, CA $65,824

Boulder, CO $65,649

Worcester, MA $65,599

Portland, OR $65,543

Saint Paul, MN $65,468

Minneapolis, MN $65,468

Philadelphia, PA $65,380

Honolulu, HI $65,049

Springfield, MA $64,830

Providence, RI $64,824

Chicago, IL $64,642

Bellingham, WA $64,567

Baltimore, MD $64,498

Chico, CA $64,342

Wilmington, DE $64,236

Pittsfield, MA $64,173

Manchester, NH $64,054

Spokane, WA $63,779

Denver, CO $63,773

Albany, NY $63,479

Troy, NY $63,454

Schenectady, NY $63,322

Burlington, VT $63,185

Portland, ME $62,966

Salem, OR $62,916

Yakima, WA $62,903

Ann Arbor, MI $62,884

Rochester, MN $62,709

Reno, NV $62,678

Fresno, CA $62,678

Milwaukee, WI $62,622

Detroit, MI $62,559

Allentown, PA $62,540

Carson City, NV $62,534

Houston, TX $62,440

Colorado Springs, CO $62,434

Syracuse, NY $62,403

Eugene, OR $62,284

Gary, IN $62,209

Bismarck, ND $62,209

Galveston, TX $62,209

Springfield, OR $62,159

Medford, OR $62,009

Fort Collins, CO $61,984

Austin, TX $61,934

Mesa, AZ $61,802

Phoenix, AZ $61,790

Dallas, TX $61,771

Reading, PA $61,734

Saint Cloud, MN $61,708

Concord, NH $61,652

Madison, WI $61,627

Utica, NY $61,458

Raleigh, NC $61,408

Las Vegas, NV $61,402

Rochester, NY $61,358

Des Moines, IA $61,352

Atlanta, GA $61,252

Battle Creek, MI $61,233

Salt Lake City, UT $61,214

Lancaster, PA $61,120

Champaign, IL $61,108

Harrisburg, PA $61,033

Durham, NC $60,977

Kansas City, MO $60,970

Kansas City, KS $60,958

Fort Worth, TX $60,952

Boca Raton, FL $60,927

Cleveland, OH $60,920

Columbus, OH $60,908

Pittsburgh, PA $60,902

Richmond, VA $60,877

Indianapolis, IN $60,864

Cincinnati, OH $60,783

Petersburg, VA $60,689

Lansing, MI $60,551

Billings, MT $60,551

Huntsville, AL $60,551

Lebanon, PA $60,545

Pueblo, CO $60,539

Dayton, OH $60,539

Appleton, WI $60,520

Buffalo, NY $60,495

Racine, WI $60,464

Charlotte, NC $60,457

Saint Louis, MO $60,439

Springfield, IL $60,414

York, PA $60,401

Elkhart, IN $60,401

Gastonia, NC $60,395

Benton Harbor, MI $60,395

Beaumont, TX $60,357

Lorain, OH $60,345

Toledo, OH $60,320

Binghamton, NY $60,289

Rock Hill, SC $60,282

Rockford, IL $60,251

Elyria, OH $60,220

Fargo, ND $60,220

Flagstaff, AZ $60,176

Fort Lauderdale, FL $60,138

Miami, FL $60,101

Duluth, MN $60,001

Bangor, ME $59,919

Cedar Rapids, IA $59,851

Louisville, KY $59,819

Grand Rapids, MI $59,807

Hialeah, FL $59,801

Casper, WY $59,713

Scranton, PA $59,638

New Orleans, LA $59,619

Virginia Beach, VA $59,613

Akron, OH $59,582

Peoria, IL $59,500

Sarasota, FL $59,488

Green Bay, WI $59,444

Baton Rouge, LA $59,413

Charleston, SC $59,400

Nashville, TN $59,382

Jamestown, NY $59,369

Davenport, IA $59,369

Tucson, AZ $59,338

Cheyenne, WY $59,319

Saint Petersburg, FL $59,300

Tampa, FL $59,288

Omaha, NE $59,275

Evansville, IN $59,250

Port Arthur, TX $59,250

Bradenton, FL $59,225

Santa Fe, NM $59,113

Orlando, FL $59,050

Clearwater, FL $58,981

La Crosse, WI $58,850

Canton, OH $58,850

Grand Forks, ND $58,831

Tulsa, OK $58,812

Albuquerque, NM $58,812

Newport News, VA $58,806

High Point, NC $58,787

Ogden, UT $58,762

Corpus Christi, TX $58,712

Laramie, WY $58,675

Norfolk, VA $58,675

Rock Island, IL $58,637

Saginaw, MI $58,625

Jacksonville, FL $58,618

Salisbury, NC $58,606

Memphis, TN $58,593

Moline, IL $58,562

Fort Myers, FL $58,543

Waterloo, IA $58,462

Spartanburg, SC $58,399

Lincoln, NE $58,368

Fort Wayne, IN $58,356

Birmingham, AL $58,287

Cedar Falls, IA $58,274

Provo, UT $58,268

Springfield, OH $58,262

San Antonio, TX $58,249

Greensboro, NC $58,224

South Bend, IN $58,218

Winston Salem, NC $58,212

Boise, ID $58,193

Savannah, GA $58,149

Muskegon, MI $58,037

Lima, OH $57,962

Lake Charles, LA $57,937

Anderson, IN $57,924

Lexington, KY $57,905

Augusta, GA $57,887

Greenville, SC $57,887

Wichita, KS $57,830

Tuscaloosa, AL $57,830

Columbia, SC $57,774

Bloomington, IN $57,618

Roanoke, VA $57,580

Asheville, NC $57,499

Knoxville, TN $57,392

Shreveport, LA $57,386

Wilmington, NC $57,305

Frankfort, KY $57,186

Oklahoma City, OK $57,142

Chillicothe, OH $57,117

Longview, TX $57,111

Topeka, KS $57,092

Mobile, AL $56,998

Terre Haute, IN $56,973

Erie, PA $56,967

Altoona, PA $56,936

Melbourne, FL $56,917

Amarillo, TX $56,892

Killeen, TX $56,873

Fayetteville, AR $56,823

Sioux Falls, SD $56,779

Chattanooga, TN $56,742

Idaho Falls, ID $56,736

Gainesville, FL $56,604

Portsmouth, OH $56,573

Little Rock, AR $56,560

Lynchburg, VA $56,560

Youngstown, OH $56,535

Lafayette, LA $56,535

Temple, TX $56,510

Daytona Beach, FL $56,498

Clarksville, TN $56,492

Pensacola, FL $56,485

Hopkinsville, KY $56,298

Charleston, WV $56,291

Florence, SC $56,260

Sioux City, IA $56,223

Macon, GA $56,041

Tallahassee, FL $56,035

Fayetteville, NC $56,022

Wichita Falls, TX $56,010

Waco, TX $56,010

Pine Bluff, AR $55,985

Vincennes, IN $55,866

Lubbock, TX $55,841

Great Falls, MT $55,803

Alamogordo, NM $55,797

Abilene, TX $55,747

Rapid City, SD $55,666

Monroe, LA $55,666

Albany, GA $55,628

Huntington, WV $55,622

Jackson, MS $55,616

Greenville, MS $55,610

Parkersburg, WV $55,547

Montgomery, AL $55,535

Johnstown, PA $55,522

Springfield, MO $55,472

Biloxi, MS $55,441

Sumter, SC $55,309

Columbus, GA $55,303

Twin Falls, ID $55,266

Pascagoula, MS $55,184

Kingsport, TN $55,022

Gulfport, MS $55,003

Alexandria, LA $54,796

Fort Smith, AR $54,640

El Paso, TX $54,471

Helena, MT $54,390

Las Cruces, NM $54,190

Harlingen, TX $54,014

Pocatello, ID $53,958

Florence, AL $53,939

Brownsville, TX $53,927

Dothan, AL $53,827

Mcallen, TX $53,796

Columbus, MS $53,333

Altus, OK $53,045

Lawton, OK $52,926

Pierre, SD $52,701

What Skills Can Increase a Cnc Machine 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 Machine 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	$65,055	4%
Written Communication	$64,430	3%
Lean	$63,804	2%
CAD	$63,178	1%
Problem Solving	$63,178	1%
Programming	$63,178	1%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Cnc Machine Operator's Salary?

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

Cnc Machine Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Cnc Machine 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 Machine Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Cnc Machine 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

$56,161

Average $62,553/year

$68,865

$4,680

Average $5,213/month

$5,739

$1,080

Average $1,203/week

$1,324

$27

Average $30/hour

$33

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,865	$5,739	$1,324	$33
Average	$62,553	$5,213	$1,203	$30
25th Percentile	$56,161	$4,680	$1,080	$27

Salaries of jobs related to Cnc Machine Operator

Salary Trends for Cnc Machine Operator

Salaries for a Cnc Machine Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $47,534 in 2023 to around $47,081 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cnc Machine Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cnc Machine Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$47,534

2024

$47,397

2025

$47,081

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$47,534
2024	$47,397
2025	$47,081
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Cnc Machine Operator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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