Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators (SOC 51-9161) earn a median $50,690 a year ($24.37 an hour) in the United States, with 169,450 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Washington.
What computer numerically controlled tool operators do
Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool operators run machine tools, robots, and other equipment that are directed by stored programs to cut or process parts of metal, plastic, wood, stone, and other materials. They review program specifications and blueprints to set machine operations and sequences, and they may enter changes to machine programs on a computer. Setup tasks include mounting and aligning tools, fixtures, and workpieces with hand tools and precision measuring instruments. The operator starts the program, listens for sounds like dull tools or excess vibration, adjusts the machine to compensate, and stops it to change tooling or remove finished workpieces. Parts are measured with precision instruments, templates, and fixtures to confirm dimensions. They also work out machine speeds, feed ratios, and the dimensions and placement of each cut. CNC programmers, who develop the programs, and machinists, who work on a wider range of machine tools, are classified separately.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Aircraft Metals Technician, Automated Cutting Machine Operator, Automated Equipment Operator, Automation Machine Operator, CNC Gear Operator (Computer Numerical Control Gear Operator).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $18.34 | $21.60 | $24.37 | $29.69 | $35.53 | $26.11 | 169,450 |
| Annual | $38,140 | $44,930 | $50,690 | $61,760 | $73,890 | $54,320 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where computer numerically controlled tool operators earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington | Hourly | $26.25 | $35.54 | $51.88 | $56.09 | $56.09 | $46.62 | 2,270 | 0.64 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $54,590 | $73,920 | $107,920 | $116,670 | $116,670 | $96,960 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $20.58 | $23.35 | $29.63 | $35.26 | $37.46 | $29.25 | 2,500 | 0.69 | 0.63 |
| Annual | $42,810 | $48,560 | $61,630 | $73,330 | $77,920 | $60,840 | ||||
| North Dakota | Hourly | $22.37 | $22.98 | $28.97 | $30.58 | $34.94 | $28.12 | 250 | 0.58 | 0.53 |
| Annual | $46,530 | $47,790 | $60,250 | $63,610 | $72,660 | $58,490 | ||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $21.83 | $23.65 | $28.77 | $31.73 | $35.73 | $28.16 | 2,740 | 1.61 | 1.48 |
| Annual | $45,410 | $49,180 | $59,840 | $66,000 | $74,310 | $58,570 | ||||
| New Hampshire | Hourly | $22.48 | $23.92 | $28.72 | $32.25 | $38.60 | $29.36 | 1,770 | 2.59 | 2.37 |
| Annual | $46,750 | $49,740 | $59,730 | $67,090 | $80,280 | $61,070 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $19.07 | $22.66 | $27.17 | $30.70 | $36.94 | $27.60 | 21,680 | 1.19 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $39,670 | $47,140 | $56,510 | $63,850 | $76,840 | $57,400 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $17.87 | $20.15 | $23.63 | $29.76 | $33.96 | $25.20 | 21,250 | 3.83 | 3.51 |
| Annual | $37,170 | $41,920 | $49,160 | $61,910 | $70,630 | $52,420 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $16.80 | $18.94 | $23.31 | $28.73 | $33.54 | $24.60 | 13,190 | 0.94 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $34,940 | $39,380 | $48,480 | $59,760 | $69,760 | $51,170 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $18.54 | $20.95 | $23.36 | $28.42 | $34.22 | $24.90 | 9,690 | 3.03 | 2.78 |
| Annual | $38,550 | $43,570 | $48,590 | $59,100 | $71,170 | $51,800 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $19.62 | $22.68 | $25.33 | $29.80 | $34.76 | $26.63 | 8,330 | 2.83 | 2.60 |
| Annual | $40,800 | $47,170 | $52,690 | $61,990 | $72,290 | $55,390 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $32.63 | $50.00 | $52.69 | $56.09 | $56.09 | $49.74 | 1,960 | 0.94 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $67,870 | $104,000 | $109,600 | $116,670 | $116,670 | $103,460 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $22.19 | $24.28 | $30.85 | $36.12 | $38.37 | $30.55 | 1,890 | 0.70 | 0.64 |
| Annual | $46,160 | $50,490 | $64,180 | $75,130 | $79,810 | $63,550 | ||||
| Albany, OR | Hourly | $21.46 | $26.17 | $30.85 | $33.00 | $41.85 | $30.76 | 290 | 6.10 | 5.59 |
| Annual | $44,630 | $54,440 | $64,170 | $68,650 | $87,050 | $63,970 | ||||
| Fargo, ND-MN | Hourly | $20.27 | $25.00 | $30.58 | $30.58 | $30.58 | $28.32 | 110 | 0.77 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $42,160 | $52,000 | $63,610 | $63,610 | $63,610 | $58,900 | ||||
| Morristown, TN | Hourly | $20.04 | $22.56 | $30.17 | $30.17 | $30.17 | $27.58 | 70 | 1.49 | 1.37 |
| Annual | $41,670 | $46,930 | $62,760 | $62,760 | $62,760 | $57,370 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.98 | $22.66 | $26.44 | $30.51 | $36.87 | $27.28 | 10,450 | 1.67 | 1.53 |
| Annual | $39,480 | $47,130 | $54,980 | $63,460 | $76,690 | $56,740 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.75 | $20.60 | $23.39 | $29.55 | $35.50 | $25.44 | 5,480 | 1.21 | 1.11 |
| Annual | $38,990 | $42,850 | $48,660 | $61,460 | $73,840 | $52,900 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $16.75 | $20.00 | $24.17 | $29.14 | $34.45 | $25.37 | 5,200 | 1.58 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $34,850 | $41,600 | $50,280 | $60,610 | $71,650 | $52,770 | ||||
| Cleveland, OH | Hourly | $17.04 | $19.19 | $23.40 | $29.57 | $32.07 | $24.72 | 4,770 | 4.63 | 4.25 |
| Annual | $35,450 | $39,920 | $48,670 | $61,500 | $66,710 | $51,410 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $17.32 | $18.40 | $23.07 | $28.94 | $32.85 | $24.29 | 3,150 | 0.78 | 0.71 |
| Annual | $36,030 | $38,270 | $47,990 | $60,200 | $68,330 | $50,510 | ||||
Top industries employing computer numerically controlled tool operators
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing employ 19.0% of computer numerically controlled tool operators nationally (32,130 jobs) at a median $50,510 a year ($24.29 an hour), followed by Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) (10.3%) and Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) (9.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing NAICS 332700 | 32,130 | 19.0% | $50,510 | $24.29 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) NAICS 3320A1 | 17,400 | 10.3% | $49,610 | $23.85 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) NAICS 3330A1 | 16,020 | 9.5% | $53,830 | $25.88 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 13,470 | 7.9% | $61,580 | $29.60 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing NAICS 333500 | 10,020 | 5.9% | $51,760 | $24.88 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (169,450). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $46,640 for computer numerically controlled tool operators in May 2021 and $50,690 in May 2025, with employment of 157,840 and 169,450.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $46,640 | $22.42 | 157,840 |
| May 2022 | $46,760 | $22.48 | 179,360 |
| May 2023 | $48,550 | $23.34 | 187,670 |
| May 2024 | $49,970 | $24.02 | 176,950 |
| May 2025 | $50,690 | $24.37 | 169,450 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
48 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington profile | $51.88 | $107,920 | $54,590 | $116,670 | 2,270 | 0.64 | 0.59 |
| 2 | Massachusetts profile | $29.63 | $61,630 | $42,810 | $77,920 | 2,500 | 0.69 | 0.63 |
| 3 | North Dakota profile | $28.97 | $60,250 | $46,530 | $72,660 | 250 | 0.58 | 0.53 |
| 4 | Connecticut profile | $28.77 | $59,840 | $45,410 | $74,310 | 2,740 | 1.61 | 1.48 |
| 5 | New Hampshire profile | $28.72 | $59,730 | $46,750 | $80,280 | 1,770 | 2.59 | 2.37 |
| 6 | Maine profile | $28.69 | $59,660 | $42,880 | $62,250 | 440 | 0.68 | 0.63 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $27.64 | $57,500 | $44,480 | $81,820 | 1,190 | 3.92 | 3.60 |
| 8 | Rhode Island profile | $27.59 | $57,390 | $44,010 | $74,630 | 540 | 1.07 | 0.98 |
| 9 | Minnesota profile | $27.30 | $56,780 | $43,890 | $76,340 | 4,290 | 1.45 | 1.33 |
| 10 | Oregon profile | $27.24 | $56,670 | $42,850 | $76,980 | 2,920 | 1.49 | 1.36 |
| 11 | California profile | $27.17 | $56,510 | $39,670 | $76,840 | 21,680 | 1.19 | 1.09 |
| 12 | Colorado profile | $26.57 | $55,270 | $44,450 | $77,260 | 1,580 | 0.55 | 0.51 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania profile | $26.25 | $54,590 | $40,410 | $74,420 | 7,840 | 1.29 | 1.19 |
| 14 | Wyoming profile | $26.04 | $54,170 | $40,800 | $75,560 | 60 | 0.22 | 0.20 |
| 15 | New Jersey profile | $26.01 | $54,100 | $35,430 | $75,230 | 1,770 | 0.41 | 0.38 |
| 16 | Idaho profile | $25.64 | $53,340 | $40,340 | $77,560 | 480 | 0.56 | 0.51 |
| 17 | New York profile | $25.64 | $53,340 | $39,800 | $72,950 | 5,530 | 0.57 | 0.52 |
| 18 | Wisconsin profile | $25.33 | $52,690 | $40,800 | $72,290 | 8,330 | 2.83 | 2.60 |
| 19 | Alabama profile | $25.19 | $52,380 | $38,320 | $76,360 | 3,120 | 1.48 | 1.36 |
| 20 | Iowa profile | $25.15 | $52,300 | $39,450 | $63,040 | 4,750 | 3.05 | 2.79 |
| 21 | Montana profile | $24.94 | $51,880 | $39,040 | $68,880 | 240 | 0.48 | 0.44 |
| 22 | South Carolina profile | $24.91 | $51,800 | $38,350 | $67,980 | 2,460 | 1.07 | 0.98 |
| 23 | Missouri profile | $24.52 | $51,000 | $37,790 | $68,730 | 1,500 | 0.51 | 0.47 |
| 24 | South Dakota profile | $24.40 | $50,750 | $39,910 | $64,720 | 1,420 | 3.11 | 2.85 |
| 25 | North Carolina profile | $24.25 | $50,440 | $37,410 | $80,770 | 3,680 | 0.74 | 0.68 |
| 26 | Arkansas profile | $24.17 | $50,280 | $35,180 | $69,250 | 2,180 | 1.67 | 1.54 |
| 27 | Delaware profile | $24.04 | $50,010 | $39,450 | $66,560 | 170 | 0.35 | 0.32 |
| 28 | Tennessee profile | $24.03 | $49,980 | $38,000 | $64,620 | 1,980 | 0.60 | 0.55 |
| 29 | Louisiana profile | $23.94 | $49,800 | $35,610 | $64,570 | 670 | 0.35 | 0.32 |
| 30 | West Virginia profile | $23.86 | $49,630 | $34,450 | $64,550 | 160 | 0.22 | 0.20 |
| 31 | Virginia profile | $23.84 | $49,590 | $36,620 | $69,720 | 1,890 | 0.46 | 0.42 |
| 32 | Nebraska profile | $23.73 | $49,360 | $37,950 | $63,070 | 830 | 0.81 | 0.75 |
| 33 | Kentucky profile | $23.64 | $49,180 | $37,900 | $64,260 | 1,740 | 0.87 | 0.80 |
| 34 | Ohio profile | $23.63 | $49,160 | $37,170 | $70,630 | 21,250 | 3.83 | 3.51 |
| 35 | Arizona profile | $23.53 | $48,950 | $40,400 | $65,780 | 1,800 | 0.56 | 0.51 |
| 36 | Indiana profile | $23.36 | $48,590 | $38,550 | $71,170 | 9,690 | 3.03 | 2.78 |
| 37 | Texas profile | $23.31 | $48,480 | $34,940 | $69,760 | 13,190 | 0.94 | 0.86 |
| 38 | Illinois profile | $23.28 | $48,420 | $38,990 | $68,950 | 8,170 | 1.34 | 1.23 |
| 39 | Kansas profile | $23.27 | $48,400 | $39,660 | $70,240 | 2,540 | 1.77 | 1.62 |
| 40 | Oklahoma profile | $22.96 | $47,760 | $34,490 | $62,190 | 1,490 | 0.87 | 0.80 |
| 41 | Georgia profile | $22.90 | $47,630 | $36,490 | $72,610 | 2,200 | 0.45 | 0.41 |
| 42 | Michigan profile | $22.72 | $47,250 | $36,190 | $62,800 | 7,330 | 1.67 | 1.53 |
| 43 | Maryland profile | $22.54 | $46,870 | $32,060 | $74,010 | 1,800 | 0.65 | 0.60 |
| 44 | Nevada profile | $22.44 | $46,670 | $36,500 | $68,270 | 400 | 0.26 | 0.24 |
| 45 | Florida profile | $22.20 | $46,170 | $36,430 | $61,860 | 4,040 | 0.41 | 0.37 |
| 46 | Utah profile | $21.70 | $45,140 | $36,300 | $61,180 | 1,170 | 0.67 | 0.62 |
| 47 | New Mexico profile | $21.62 | $44,970 | $32,560 | $61,670 | 70 | 0.08 | 0.07 |
| 48 | Mississippi profile | $19.00 | $39,520 | $33,280 | $60,080 | 1,290 | 1.11 | 1.02 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-9160), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-9161 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-9161, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9161.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.