Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers (SOC 51-9162) earn a median $68,120 a year ($32.75 an hour) in the United States, with 28,500 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Connecticut.
What computer numerically controlled tool programmers do
CNC tool programmers write the instructions that direct automatic machine tools to cut or shape metal and other materials. Using job orders, drawings, blueprints, and design data, they determine the sequence of machine operations, choose cutting tools, and calculate dimensions, reference points, cutting paths, hole locations, radii, and curvatures. The program is then written in the machine controller's language and stored on media such as tapes or disks. Before it goes into production, the programmer watches a trial run or runs a computer simulation to confirm that the program and machine will turn out parts that meet specifications, and the program is corrected where needed. Some programmers also set up, operate, or maintain the equipment. Job titles include CAM programmer and application engineer. Programs are revised and retested to remove errors and modified to improve efficiency. Operators run the finished programs, while this occupation writes and refines them.
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: Application Engineer, CAD Programmer (Computer-Aided Design Programmer), CAM Programmer (Computer-Aided Manufacturing Programmer), CNC Lathe Operator (Computer Numerically Controlled Lathe Operator), CNC Lathe Programmer (Computer Numerical Control Lathe Programmer).
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $22.85 | $28.01 | $32.75 | $39.37 | $48.23 | $34.72 | 28,500 |
| Annual | $47,530 | $58,270 | $68,120 | $81,890 | $100,320 | $72,210 | ||
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 programmers 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 | ||||||
| Connecticut | Hourly | $28.22 | $32.45 | $41.53 | $48.80 | $56.78 | $42.17 | 500 | 0.29 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $58,700 | $67,490 | $86,390 | $101,500 | $118,110 | $87,710 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $26.88 | $31.94 | $39.47 | $49.51 | $60.58 | $41.92 | 2,990 | 0.16 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $55,900 | $66,440 | $82,090 | $102,980 | $126,010 | $87,180 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $28.71 | $32.68 | $39.27 | $45.24 | $49.48 | $38.89 | 680 | 0.19 | 1.02 |
| Annual | $59,710 | $67,970 | $81,670 | $94,090 | $102,920 | $80,880 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $29.82 | $35.37 | $39.14 | $46.34 | $49.00 | $40.46 | 660 | 0.19 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $62,020 | $73,570 | $81,420 | $96,380 | $101,920 | $84,160 | ||||
| Missouri | Hourly | $22.34 | $27.43 | $37.56 | $51.44 | $62.00 | $39.64 | 430 | 0.15 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $46,460 | $57,060 | $78,130 | $106,990 | $128,950 | $82,440 | ||||
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 | $26.88 | $31.94 | $39.47 | $49.51 | $60.58 | $41.92 | 2,990 | 0.16 | 0.89 |
| Annual | $55,900 | $66,440 | $82,090 | $102,980 | $126,010 | $87,180 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $20.65 | $22.13 | $28.89 | $34.82 | $40.44 | $29.50 | 2,370 | 0.43 | 2.33 |
| Annual | $42,950 | $46,020 | $60,080 | $72,430 | $84,120 | $61,360 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $24.07 | $28.31 | $31.08 | $36.88 | $45.17 | $33.18 | 2,300 | 0.52 | 2.85 |
| Annual | $50,070 | $58,890 | $64,640 | $76,720 | $93,950 | $69,020 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $20.90 | $28.00 | $33.44 | $39.04 | $55.21 | $35.31 | 1,930 | 0.14 | 0.75 |
| Annual | $43,480 | $58,230 | $69,550 | $81,210 | $114,830 | $73,430 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $27.03 | $30.00 | $32.43 | $34.88 | $38.21 | $32.85 | 1,610 | 0.55 | 2.99 |
| Annual | $56,220 | $62,400 | $67,460 | $72,550 | $79,470 | $68,330 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $32.36 | $38.52 | $49.51 | $54.20 | $63.98 | $48.49 | 420 | 0.37 | 2.01 |
| Annual | $67,320 | $80,120 | $102,980 | $112,740 | $133,080 | $100,860 | ||||
| Wichita, KS | Hourly | $28.63 | $31.25 | $47.97 | $50.85 | $62.55 | $44.89 | 390 | 1.27 | 6.93 |
| Annual | $59,540 | $64,990 | $99,790 | $105,770 | $130,110 | $93,360 | ||||
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Hourly | $24.09 | $32.23 | $45.30 | $60.85 | $62.00 | $44.24 | 290 | 0.22 | 1.19 |
| Annual | $50,100 | $67,040 | $94,230 | $126,560 | $128,950 | $92,020 | ||||
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | Hourly | $29.13 | $37.17 | $45.08 | $45.50 | $48.47 | $40.72 | 40 | 0.25 | 1.39 |
| Annual | $60,600 | $77,310 | $93,770 | $94,640 | $100,820 | $84,690 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $28.03 | $35.22 | $45.02 | $55.67 | $62.72 | $45.38 | 260 | 0.11 | 0.59 |
| Annual | $58,310 | $73,250 | $93,640 | $115,800 | $130,450 | $94,390 | ||||
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 | $27.68 | $32.37 | $39.88 | $48.09 | $60.25 | $42.26 | 1,350 | 0.22 | 1.17 |
| Annual | $57,580 | $67,330 | $82,950 | $100,020 | $125,320 | $87,900 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $24.94 | $29.04 | $31.67 | $37.19 | $46.34 | $34.17 | 1,030 | 0.54 | 2.96 |
| Annual | $51,870 | $60,390 | $65,870 | $77,350 | $96,380 | $71,060 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $26.79 | $32.19 | $37.51 | $40.50 | $44.16 | $36.34 | 850 | 0.44 | 2.39 |
| Annual | $55,720 | $66,940 | $78,010 | $84,230 | $91,850 | $75,590 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $25.95 | $29.40 | $33.36 | $39.46 | $46.22 | $35.01 | 800 | 0.18 | 0.97 |
| Annual | $53,980 | $61,150 | $69,400 | $82,080 | $96,130 | $72,820 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $17.88 | $27.36 | $34.28 | $40.80 | $48.01 | $34.55 | 780 | 0.08 | 0.45 |
| Annual | $37,200 | $56,900 | $71,310 | $84,860 | $99,870 | $71,870 | ||||
Top industries employing computer numerically controlled tool programmers
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing employ 19.0% of computer numerically controlled tool programmers nationally (5,420 jobs) at a median $73,670 a year ($35.42 an hour), followed by Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) (9.4%) and Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (8.5%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing NAICS 332700 | 5,420 | 19.0% | $73,670 | $35.42 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) NAICS 3330A1 | 2,670 | 9.4% | $70,700 | $33.99 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing NAICS 333500 | 2,420 | 8.5% | $65,880 | $31.67 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) NAICS 3320A1 | 2,330 | 8.2% | $66,860 | $32.14 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 2,060 | 7.2% | $97,710 | $46.98 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (28,500). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $60,780 for computer numerically controlled tool programmers in May 2021 and $68,120 in May 2025, with employment of 25,800 and 28,500.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $60,780 | $29.22 | 25,800 |
| May 2022 | $60,800 | $29.23 | 28,120 |
| May 2023 | $63,440 | $30.50 | 28,030 |
| May 2024 | $65,670 | $31.57 | 28,230 |
| May 2025 | $68,120 | $32.75 | 28,500 |
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
43 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 | Connecticut profile | $41.53 | $86,390 | $58,700 | $118,110 | 500 | 0.29 | 1.60 |
| 2 | California profile | $39.47 | $82,090 | $55,900 | $126,010 | 2,990 | 0.16 | 0.89 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $39.27 | $81,670 | $59,710 | $102,920 | 680 | 0.19 | 1.02 |
| 4 | Washington profile | $39.14 | $81,420 | $62,020 | $101,920 | 660 | 0.19 | 1.01 |
| 5 | Missouri profile | $37.56 | $78,130 | $46,460 | $128,950 | 430 | 0.15 | 0.80 |
| 6 | Vermont profile | $37.49 | $77,980 | $60,710 | $104,180 | 140 | 0.47 | 2.55 |
| 7 | Kansas profile | $36.58 | $76,080 | $53,920 | $125,740 | 680 | 0.47 | 2.58 |
| 8 | North Dakota profile | $36.53 | $75,990 | $61,280 | $93,900 | 40 | 0.10 | 0.53 |
| 9 | Oregon profile | $36.13 | $75,150 | $53,690 | $103,850 | 500 | 0.25 | 1.38 |
| 10 | Arizona profile | $35.79 | $74,450 | $51,970 | $97,610 | 470 | 0.15 | 0.80 |
| 11 | Virginia profile | $35.76 | $74,390 | $49,480 | $99,240 | 330 | 0.08 | 0.43 |
| 12 | Minnesota profile | $35.67 | $74,190 | $51,200 | $89,970 | 1,250 | 0.42 | 2.31 |
| 13 | Maine profile | $35.06 | $72,920 | $47,510 | $102,770 | 50 | 0.08 | 0.42 |
| 14 | New Hampshire profile | $34.46 | $71,680 | $56,380 | $94,820 | 290 | 0.42 | 2.29 |
| 15 | Montana profile | $34.07 | $70,860 | $46,540 | $95,700 | 60 | 0.11 | 0.61 |
| 16 | New Jersey profile | $33.88 | $70,460 | $48,920 | $96,800 | 520 | 0.12 | 0.66 |
| 17 | Tennessee profile | $33.51 | $69,700 | $57,200 | $100,690 | 330 | 0.10 | 0.54 |
| 18 | Colorado profile | $33.45 | $69,570 | $47,160 | $102,590 | 410 | 0.14 | 0.78 |
| 19 | Texas profile | $33.44 | $69,550 | $43,480 | $114,830 | 1,930 | 0.14 | 0.75 |
| 20 | South Carolina profile | $33.40 | $69,470 | $48,760 | $97,250 | 340 | 0.15 | 0.80 |
| 21 | Illinois profile | $33.09 | $68,830 | $53,290 | $92,130 | 1,070 | 0.18 | 0.96 |
| 22 | New York profile | $33.04 | $68,730 | $45,500 | $97,390 | 1,140 | 0.12 | 0.64 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $32.43 | $67,460 | $56,220 | $79,470 | 1,610 | 0.55 | 2.99 |
| 24 | South Dakota profile | $32.04 | $66,650 | $48,800 | $83,930 | 80 | 0.18 | 0.99 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania profile | $31.89 | $66,330 | $49,980 | $88,970 | 1,080 | 0.18 | 0.97 |
| 26 | Maryland profile | $31.57 | $65,670 | $44,900 | $85,930 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.39 |
| 27 | Utah profile | $31.55 | $65,610 | $47,960 | $96,140 | 150 | 0.09 | 0.48 |
| 28 | Oklahoma profile | $31.54 | $65,590 | $44,170 | $99,180 | 330 | 0.19 | 1.05 |
| 29 | Kentucky profile | $31.24 | $64,980 | $50,550 | $109,400 | 230 | 0.12 | 0.64 |
| 30 | Michigan profile | $31.08 | $64,640 | $50,070 | $93,950 | 2,300 | 0.52 | 2.85 |
| 31 | Alabama profile | $31.05 | $64,590 | $42,720 | $90,520 | 420 | 0.20 | 1.08 |
| 32 | North Carolina profile | $30.77 | $63,990 | $47,120 | $88,200 | 760 | 0.15 | 0.84 |
| 33 | Florida profile | $30.76 | $63,970 | $37,520 | $93,770 | 770 | 0.08 | 0.42 |
| 34 | Idaho profile | $30.56 | $63,560 | $45,780 | $93,010 | 120 | 0.15 | 0.79 |
| 35 | Indiana profile | $30.38 | $63,200 | $49,100 | $90,450 | 1,490 | 0.47 | 2.54 |
| 36 | Nebraska profile | $30.38 | $63,190 | $44,050 | $79,810 | 70 | 0.07 | 0.37 |
| 37 | Rhode Island profile | $30.11 | $62,640 | $57,070 | $85,110 | 70 | 0.14 | 0.75 |
| 38 | Georgia profile | $29.50 | $61,360 | $43,690 | $91,190 | 420 | 0.09 | 0.47 |
| 39 | Ohio profile | $28.89 | $60,080 | $42,950 | $84,120 | 2,370 | 0.43 | 2.33 |
| 40 | Iowa profile | $27.78 | $57,780 | $39,150 | $78,160 | 640 | 0.41 | 2.24 |
| 41 | Nevada profile | $27.50 | $57,210 | $40,560 | $115,160 | 130 | 0.08 | 0.46 |
| 42 | Arkansas profile | $27.11 | $56,390 | $46,500 | $80,220 | 210 | 0.16 | 0.88 |
| 43 | Mississippi profile | $24.13 | $50,190 | $43,430 | $75,390 | 140 | 0.12 | 0.68 |
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 51-9162 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers.
- 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 51-9162, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9162.00, 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.