What are the main factors that influence a CNC Laser Machine Operator III'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 Laser Machine Operator III's salary?

A CNC Laser Machine Operator III's salary grows with experience: starting around $56,718 for beginners, reaching about $59,001 at mid-level, and approach $62,070 for experts.

What are the highest paying cities for a CNC Laser Machine Operator III?

CNC Laser Machine Operator III salary varies significantly by city. The top 3 highest paying cities in South Dakota for CNC Laser Machine Operator III roles are San Jose $89,900, San Francisco $89,000, Oakland $87,100.

How much do different types of CNC Laser Machine Operator roles make?

Salaries for CNC Laser Machine Operator level roles vary by specialization: CNC Machine Programmer III: $85,218; CNC Machine Operator III: $71,254; Cnc Machine Operator: $63,931; CNC Laser Machine Operator II: $62,700; CNC Machine Operator II: $62,621.

What specialized skills increase a CNC Laser Machine Operator III's salary?

Skills with high demand and low supply, such as Dedication (up to 5% premium), Analysis (up to 4% premium), Mechanical Drawing (up to 4% premium), directly translate to higher compensation. Employers pay more for these capabilities to gain a competitive edge.

CNC Laser Machine Operator III Salary in Java, SD

How much does a CNC Laser Machine Operator III make in Java, SD?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a CNC Laser Machine Operator III in Java, SD is $59,000 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $28.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $70,272
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $52,100 to $64,900
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $45,818

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CNC Laser Machine Operator III Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$64,900	$5,408	$1,248	$31
Average	$59,000	$4,917	$1,135	$28
25th Percentile	$52,100	$4,342	$1,002	$25

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Key Factors That Influence CNC Laser Machine Operator III Salaries

A CNC Laser Machine Operator III'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, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects CNC Laser Machine Operator III Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a CNC Laser Machine Operator III's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $56,718
Early Career (1-2 years): $56,926
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $59,001
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $61,193
Expert (over 8 years): $62,070

Levels	Salary
Entry Level CNC Laser Machine Operator III	$56,718
Intermediate Level CNC Laser Machine Operator III	$56,926
Senior Level CNC Laser Machine Operator III	$59,001
Specialist Level CNC Laser Machine Operator III	$61,193
Expert Level CNC Laser Machine Operator III	$62,070

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Top Paying Cities for CNC Laser Machine Operator IIIs

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: $89,900
San Francisco: $89,000
Oakland: $87,100

San Jose, CA $89,900

San Francisco, CA $89,000

Oakland, CA $87,100

New York, NY $82,600

Queens Village, NY $82,100

Paramus, NJ $81,500

Passaic, NJ $81,500

Bergenfield, NJ $81,400

Stamford, CT $81,300

Huntington, NY $81,200

Newark, NJ $80,700

Bridgeport, CT $80,600

New Brunswick, NJ $80,400

Vallejo, CA $80,200

Middlesex, NJ $80,200

Somerset, NJ $80,100

Petaluma, CA $79,900

Santa Cruz, CA $79,700

Boston, MA $79,500

Monterey, CA $79,200

Fairbanks, AK $79,100

Los Angeles, CA $79,000

Washington, DC $78,900

Seattle, WA $78,800

Santa Rosa, CA $78,800

Juneau, AK $78,600

Orange, CA $78,400

Anaheim, CA $78,200

Anchorage, AK $78,200

Santa Ana, CA $78,100

Nassau, NY $78,000

Long Beach, CA $78,000

Danbury, CT $78,000

Santa Maria, CA $77,700

Everett, WA $77,700

Bremerton, WA $77,400

Sacramento, CA $77,200

San Diego, CA $77,200

Trenton, NJ $77,200

Brockton, MA $77,100

Tacoma, WA $77,100

Santa Barbara, CA $77,000

Lowell, MA $76,700

New Suffolk, NY $76,700

Nashua, NH $76,600

Lompoc, CA $76,500

Stockton, CA $76,400

Ventura, CA $76,400

New Haven, CT $76,300

Atlantic City, NJ $76,100

Hartford, CT $75,900

Modesto, CA $75,900

Poughkeepsie, NY $75,700

New Britain, CT $75,700

Norwich, CT $75,600

New London, CT $75,600

Olympia, WA $75,600

Kennewick, WA $75,600

Lawrence, MA $75,500

Bakersfield, CA $75,300

Riverside, CA $75,200

New Bedford, MA $75,200

Richland, WA $75,200

Vineland, NJ $75,100

Portsmouth, NH $75,100

San Bernardino, CA $75,000

Boulder, CO $74,800

Worcester, MA $74,800

Portland, OR $74,700

Saint Paul, MN $74,600

Minneapolis, MN $74,600

Philadelphia, PA $74,500

Honolulu, HI $74,100

Springfield, MA $73,900

Providence, RI $73,900

Chicago, IL $73,700

Bellingham, WA $73,600

Baltimore, MD $73,500

Chico, CA $73,300

Wilmington, DE $73,200

Pittsfield, MA $73,100

Manchester, NH $73,000

Spokane, WA $72,700

Denver, CO $72,700

Albany, NY $72,400

Troy, NY $72,300

Schenectady, NY $72,200

Burlington, VT $72,000

Portland, ME $71,800

Salem, OR $71,700

Yakima, WA $71,700

Ann Arbor, MI $71,700

Rochester, MN $71,500

Fresno, CA $71,400

Reno, NV $71,400

Milwaukee, WI $71,400

Carson City, NV $71,300

Detroit, MI $71,300

Allentown, PA $71,300

Houston, TX $71,200

Colorado Springs, CO $71,200

Syracuse, NY $71,100

Eugene, OR $71,000

Springfield, OR $70,900

Bismarck, ND $70,900

Gary, IN $70,900

Galveston, TX $70,900

Medford, OR $70,700

Fort Collins, CO $70,700

Austin, TX $70,600

Mesa, AZ $70,400

Phoenix, AZ $70,400

Dallas, TX $70,400

Reading, PA $70,400

Saint Cloud, MN $70,300

Concord, NH $70,300

Madison, WI $70,200

Utica, NY $70,100

Raleigh, NC $70,000

Las Vegas, NV $70,000

Rochester, NY $69,900

Des Moines, IA $69,900

Atlanta, GA $69,800

Battle Creek, MI $69,800

Salt Lake City, UT $69,800

Champaign, IL $69,700

Lancaster, PA $69,700

Harrisburg, PA $69,600

Durham, NC $69,500

Kansas City, MO $69,500

Kansas City, KS $69,500

Fort Worth, TX $69,500

Boca Raton, FL $69,500

Indianapolis, IN $69,400

Pittsburgh, PA $69,400

Richmond, VA $69,400

Cleveland, OH $69,400

Columbus, OH $69,400

Cincinnati, OH $69,300

Petersburg, VA $69,200

Pueblo, CO $69,000

Buffalo, NY $69,000

Appleton, WI $69,000

Dayton, OH $69,000

Huntsville, AL $69,000

Lansing, MI $69,000

Billings, MT $69,000

Lebanon, PA $69,000

Elkhart, IN $68,900

Racine, WI $68,900

Charlotte, NC $68,900

Saint Louis, MO $68,900

Springfield, IL $68,900

York, PA $68,900

Lorain, OH $68,800

Beaumont, TX $68,800

Toledo, OH $68,800

Gastonia, NC $68,800

Benton Harbor, MI $68,800

Binghamton, NY $68,700

Rock Hill, SC $68,700

Rockford, IL $68,700

Fargo, ND $68,600

Elyria, OH $68,600

Flagstaff, AZ $68,600

Fort Lauderdale, FL $68,600

Miami, FL $68,500

Duluth, MN $68,400

Bangor, ME $68,300

Cedar Rapids, IA $68,200

Louisville, KY $68,200

Grand Rapids, MI $68,200

Hialeah, FL $68,200

Casper, WY $68,100

Scranton, PA $68,000

New Orleans, LA $68,000

Virginia Beach, VA $68,000

Akron, OH $67,900

Peoria, IL $67,800

Sarasota, FL $67,800

Green Bay, WI $67,800

Baton Rouge, LA $67,700

Charleston, SC $67,700

Nashville, TN $67,700

Jamestown, NY $67,700

Davenport, IA $67,700

Omaha, NE $67,600

Tampa, FL $67,600

Tucson, AZ $67,600

Cheyenne, WY $67,600

Saint Petersburg, FL $67,600

Port Arthur, TX $67,500

Evansville, IN $67,500

Bradenton, FL $67,500

Santa Fe, NM $67,400

Orlando, FL $67,300

Clearwater, FL $67,200

La Crosse, WI $67,100

Canton, OH $67,100

Grand Forks, ND $67,100

Albuquerque, NM $67,000

Tulsa, OK $67,000

Newport News, VA $67,000

High Point, NC $67,000

Ogden, UT $67,000

Laramie, WY $66,900

Corpus Christi, TX $66,900

Norfolk, VA $66,900

Moline, IL $66,800

Rock Island, IL $66,800

Saginaw, MI $66,800

Jacksonville, FL $66,800

Salisbury, NC $66,800

Memphis, TN $66,800

Fort Myers, FL $66,700

Spartanburg, SC $66,600

Waterloo, IA $66,600

Lincoln, NE $66,500

Fort Wayne, IN $66,500

Winston Salem, NC $66,400

South Bend, IN $66,400

San Antonio, TX $66,400

Greensboro, NC $66,400

Provo, UT $66,400

Cedar Falls, IA $66,400

Birmingham, AL $66,400

Springfield, OH $66,400

Boise, ID $66,300

Savannah, GA $66,300

Muskegon, MI $66,200

Lima, OH $66,100

Augusta, GA $66,000

Lexington, KY $66,000

Greenville, SC $66,000

Lake Charles, LA $66,000

Anderson, IN $66,000

Columbia, SC $65,900

Tuscaloosa, AL $65,900

Wichita, KS $65,900

Bloomington, IN $65,700

Roanoke, VA $65,600

Asheville, NC $65,500

Knoxville, TN $65,400

Shreveport, LA $65,400

Wilmington, NC $65,300

Frankfort, KY $65,200

Topeka, KS $65,100

Longview, TX $65,100

Oklahoma City, OK $65,100

Chillicothe, OH $65,100

Mobile, AL $65,000

Melbourne, FL $64,900

Terre Haute, IN $64,900

Erie, PA $64,900

Altoona, PA $64,900

Amarillo, TX $64,900

Fayetteville, AR $64,800

Killeen, TX $64,800

Sioux Falls, SD $64,700

Chattanooga, TN $64,700

Idaho Falls, ID $64,700

Gainesville, FL $64,500

Portsmouth, OH $64,500

Little Rock, AR $64,500

Lynchburg, VA $64,500

Temple, TX $64,400

Pensacola, FL $64,400

Clarksville, TN $64,400

Lafayette, LA $64,400

Youngstown, OH $64,400

Daytona Beach, FL $64,400

Hopkinsville, KY $64,200

Charleston, WV $64,200

Florence, SC $64,100

Sioux City, IA $64,100

Wichita Falls, TX $63,900

Waco, TX $63,900

Fayetteville, NC $63,900

Tallahassee, FL $63,900

Macon, GA $63,900

Pine Bluff, AR $63,800

Vincennes, IN $63,700

Lubbock, TX $63,700

Great Falls, MT $63,600

Alamogordo, NM $63,600

Abilene, TX $63,600

Monroe, LA $63,500

Rapid City, SD $63,500

Albany, GA $63,400

Huntington, WV $63,400

Jackson, MS $63,400

Greenville, MS $63,400

Parkersburg, WV $63,300

Montgomery, AL $63,300

Johnstown, PA $63,300

Springfield, MO $63,200

Biloxi, MS $63,200

Sumter, SC $63,100

Columbus, GA $63,000

Twin Falls, ID $63,000

Pascagoula, MS $62,900

Kingsport, TN $62,700

Gulfport, MS $62,700

Alexandria, LA $62,500

Fort Smith, AR $62,300

El Paso, TX $62,100

Helena, MT $62,000

Las Cruces, NM $61,800

Harlingen, TX $61,600

Pocatello, ID $61,500

Florence, AL $61,500

Brownsville, TX $61,500

Dothan, AL $61,400

Mcallen, TX $61,300

Columbus, MS $60,800

Altus, OK $60,500

Lawton, OK $60,300

Pierre, SD $60,100

What Skills Can Increase a CNC Laser Machine Operator III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Troubleshooting (Mentioned in 1.82% 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.
ISO (Mentioned in 1.35% Job Postings): The International Organization for Standardization is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
Preventive Maintenance (Mentioned in 0.96% 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	1.82%
ISO	1.35%
Preventive Maintenance	0.96%

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 Laser Machine Operator III's salary.

Dedication: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Mechanical Drawing: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Dedication	$61,950	5%
Analysis	$61,360	4%
Mechanical Drawing	$61,360	4%
Work Ethic	$61,360	4%
Quality Assurance	$61,360	4%
Continuous Improvement	$61,360	4%

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CNC Laser Machine Operator III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a CNC Laser Machine Operator III'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 January 01, 2026

$52,100

Average $59,000/year

$64,900

$4,342

Average $4,917/month

$5,408

$1,002

Average $1,135/week

$1,248

$25

Average $28/hour

$31

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$64,900	$5,408	$1,248	$31
Average	$59,000	$4,917	$1,135	$28
25th Percentile	$52,100	$4,342	$1,002	$25

CNC Laser Machine Operator III Salary Growth & Career Path

CNC Laser Machine Operator III

Production Machine Operations Supervisor

Machining Operations Supervisor I

Packing Line Operations Supervisor

Manufacturing Machine Operations Supervisor, Sr.

Machining Operations Supervisor II

Packing Line Operations Manager

Promotions are the fastest way to increase your earnings. As a CNC Laser Machine Operator III, you have the following paths for advancement. The table below compares the salary raises for common next-step roles. By comparing these figures, you can choose the career path that best meets your financial goals.

CNC Laser Machine Operator III Salary Growth and Career Path
Next Step Role	Estimate Salary	Projected Raise
Production Machine Operations Supervisor	$66,600	13%
Machining Operations Supervisor I	$54,400	-8%
Packing Line Operations Supervisor	$69,900	18%

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