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

A CNC Lathe Operator's salary grows with experience: a CNC Machine Operator I (1-3 years)earns $48,320, a CNC Lathe Operator (3-5 years)earns $61,151, a CNC Machine Operator III (5-7 years)earns $69,574,

What are the highest paying states for a CNC Lathe Operator?

CNC Lathe Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for CNC Lathe Operator roles are District of Columbia $68,299, California $68,039, Massachusetts $67,133. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of CNC Lathe Operator roles make?

Salaries for CNC Lathe Operator level roles vary by specialization: Cnc Lathe Machinist: $84,514; Manual Lathe Operator: $70,065; CNC Mill Operator: $63,638; Lathe Operator: $62,452; Cnc Lathe Programmer: $62,329.

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

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

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

As of February 01, 2026, the average salary for a CNC Lathe Operator in the United States is $61,686 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $30.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $75,592
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $55,993 to $68,965
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $50,811

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CNC Lathe Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,965	$5,747	$1,326	$33
Average	$61,686	$5,140	$1,186	$30
25th Percentile	$55,993	$4,666	$1,077	$27

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Check out CNC Lathe Operator Job Openings in the United States

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Key Factors That Influence CNC Lathe Operator Salaries

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

District of Columbia: $68,299.
California: $68,039.
Massachusetts: $67,133.

District of Columbia $68,299 California $68,039 Massachusetts $67,133 Washington $66,886 New Jersey $66,861 Alaska $66,775 Connecticut $65,924 New York $65,578

Hawaii $64,474 Rhode Island $63,956 Maryland $63,604 Minnesota $63,123 Colorado $62,938 Illinois $62,876 Oregon $62,642 Delaware $62,469

New Hampshire $62,361 Virginia $62,118 Pennsylvania $61,408 Nevada $61,050 North Dakota $60,933 Michigan $60,748 Wisconsin $60,680 Vermont $60,545

Texas $60,168 Maine $60,144 Arizona $60,107 Ohio $60,063 Georgia $59,496 Indiana $59,212 Wyoming $59,157 Utah $59,070

Iowa $59,033 Kansas $58,737 Louisiana $58,651 North Carolina $58,620 Missouri $58,608 Florida $58,367 Montana $58,238 Nebraska $58,114

Kentucky $58,046 South Carolina $57,800 Tennessee $57,645 Idaho $57,584 New Mexico $57,133 Oklahoma $57,035 Alabama $56,671 South Dakota $56,060

Arkansas $55,727 West Virginia $55,548 Mississippi $55,011

Top Paying Cities for CNC Lathe 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: $77,804
San Francisco: $77,039
Oakland: $75,331

San Jose, CA $77,804

San Francisco, CA $77,039

Oakland, CA $75,331

New York, NY $71,488

Queens Village, NY $71,025

Paramus, NJ $70,532

Passaic, NJ $70,470

Bergenfield, NJ $70,408

Stamford, CT $70,316

Huntington, NY $70,254

Newark, NJ $69,853

Bridgeport, CT $69,730

New Brunswick, NJ $69,526

Vallejo, CA $69,397

Middlesex, NJ $69,360

Somerset, NJ $69,304

Petaluma, CA $69,162

Santa Cruz, CA $68,922

Boston, MA $68,798

Monterey, CA $68,490

Fairbanks, AK $68,447

Los Angeles, CA $68,329

Washington, DC $68,299

Seattle, WA $68,187

Santa Rosa, CA $68,175

Juneau, AK $67,996

Orange, CA $67,793

Anchorage, AK $67,682

Anaheim, CA $67,638

Santa Ana, CA $67,546

Nassau, NY $67,509

Long Beach, CA $67,484

Danbury, CT $67,466

Santa Maria, CA $67,256

Everett, WA $67,244

Bremerton, WA $66,941

Trenton, NJ $66,824

Sacramento, CA $66,800

San Diego, CA $66,769

Brockton, MA $66,744

Tacoma, WA $66,719

Santa Barbara, CA $66,633

Lowell, MA $66,386

New Suffolk, NY $66,362

Nashua, NH $66,288

Lompoc, CA $66,189

Ventura, CA $66,127

Stockton, CA $66,109

New Haven, CT $65,985

Atlantic City, NJ $65,825

Hartford, CT $65,689

Modesto, CA $65,658

Poughkeepsie, NY $65,523

New Britain, CT $65,492

Olympia, WA $65,405

Kennewick, WA $65,405

New London, CT $65,393

Norwich, CT $65,375

Lawrence, MA $65,344

Bakersfield, CA $65,171

Riverside, CA $65,085

New Bedford, MA $65,085

Richland, WA $65,023

Portsmouth, NH $64,974

Vineland, NJ $64,961

San Bernardino, CA $64,912

Boulder, CO $64,739

Worcester, MA $64,690

Portland, OR $64,634

Saint Paul, MN $64,560

Minneapolis, MN $64,560

Philadelphia, PA $64,474

Honolulu, HI $64,147

Springfield, MA $63,931

Providence, RI $63,925

Chicago, IL $63,746

Bellingham, WA $63,672

Baltimore, MD $63,604

Chico, CA $63,450

Wilmington, DE $63,345

Pittsfield, MA $63,283

Manchester, NH $63,166

Spokane, WA $62,895

Denver, CO $62,889

Albany, NY $62,599

Troy, NY $62,574

Schenectady, NY $62,445

Burlington, VT $62,309

Portland, ME $62,093

Salem, OR $62,044

Yakima, WA $62,031

Ann Arbor, MI $62,013

Rochester, MN $61,840

Fresno, CA $61,809

Reno, NV $61,809

Milwaukee, WI $61,754

Detroit, MI $61,692

Allentown, PA $61,673

Carson City, NV $61,667

Houston, TX $61,575

Colorado Springs, CO $61,569

Syracuse, NY $61,538

Eugene, OR $61,421

Bismarck, ND $61,347

Gary, IN $61,347

Galveston, TX $61,347

Springfield, OR $61,297

Medford, OR $61,149

Fort Collins, CO $61,124

Austin, TX $61,075

Mesa, AZ $60,946

Phoenix, AZ $60,933

Dallas, TX $60,915

Reading, PA $60,878

Saint Cloud, MN $60,853

Concord, NH $60,798

Madison, WI $60,773

Utica, NY $60,606

Raleigh, NC $60,557

Las Vegas, NV $60,551

Rochester, NY $60,508

Des Moines, IA $60,501

Atlanta, GA $60,403

Battle Creek, MI $60,384

Salt Lake City, UT $60,366

Lancaster, PA $60,273

Champaign, IL $60,261

Harrisburg, PA $60,187

Durham, NC $60,131

Kansas City, MO $60,125

Kansas City, KS $60,113

Fort Worth, TX $60,107

Boca Raton, FL $60,082

Cleveland, OH $60,076

Columbus, OH $60,063

Pittsburgh, PA $60,057

Richmond, VA $60,033

Indianapolis, IN $60,020

Cincinnati, OH $59,940

Petersburg, VA $59,848

Billings, MT $59,712

Lansing, MI $59,712

Huntsville, AL $59,712

Lebanon, PA $59,706

Dayton, OH $59,700

Pueblo, CO $59,700

Appleton, WI $59,681

Buffalo, NY $59,656

Racine, WI $59,625

Charlotte, NC $59,619

Saint Louis, MO $59,601

Springfield, IL $59,576

Elkhart, IN $59,564

York, PA $59,564

Gastonia, NC $59,558

Benton Harbor, MI $59,558

Beaumont, TX $59,521

Lorain, OH $59,508

Toledo, OH $59,484

Binghamton, NY $59,453

Rock Hill, SC $59,447

Rockford, IL $59,416

Fargo, ND $59,385

Elyria, OH $59,385

Flagstaff, AZ $59,342

Fort Lauderdale, FL $59,305

Miami, FL $59,268

Duluth, MN $59,169

Bangor, ME $59,089

Cedar Rapids, IA $59,021

Louisville, KY $58,990

Grand Rapids, MI $58,978

Hialeah, FL $58,972

Casper, WY $58,885

Scranton, PA $58,811

New Orleans, LA $58,793

Virginia Beach, VA $58,787

Akron, OH $58,756

Peoria, IL $58,676

Sarasota, FL $58,663

Green Bay, WI $58,620

Baton Rouge, LA $58,589

Charleston, SC $58,577

Nashville, TN $58,558

Jamestown, NY $58,546

Davenport, IA $58,546

Tucson, AZ $58,515

Cheyenne, WY $58,497

Saint Petersburg, FL $58,478

Tampa, FL $58,466

Omaha, NE $58,453

Port Arthur, TX $58,429

Evansville, IN $58,429

Bradenton, FL $58,404

Santa Fe, NM $58,293

Orlando, FL $58,231

Clearwater, FL $58,164

Canton, OH $58,034

La Crosse, WI $58,034

Grand Forks, ND $58,015

Albuquerque, NM $57,997

Tulsa, OK $57,997

Newport News, VA $57,991

High Point, NC $57,972

Ogden, UT $57,948

Corpus Christi, TX $57,898

Laramie, WY $57,861

Norfolk, VA $57,861

Rock Island, IL $57,824

Saginaw, MI $57,812

Jacksonville, FL $57,806

Salisbury, NC $57,793

Memphis, TN $57,781

Moline, IL $57,750

Fort Myers, FL $57,732

Waterloo, IA $57,652

Spartanburg, SC $57,590

Lincoln, NE $57,559

Fort Wayne, IN $57,547

Birmingham, AL $57,479

Cedar Falls, IA $57,466

Provo, UT $57,460

Springfield, OH $57,454

San Antonio, TX $57,442

Greensboro, NC $57,417

South Bend, IN $57,411

Winston Salem, NC $57,405

Boise, ID $57,386

Savannah, GA $57,343

Muskegon, MI $57,232

Lima, OH $57,158

Lake Charles, LA $57,133

Anderson, IN $57,121

Lexington, KY $57,103

Augusta, GA $57,084

Greenville, SC $57,084

Wichita, KS $57,029

Tuscaloosa, AL $57,029

Columbia, SC $56,973

Bloomington, IN $56,819

Roanoke, VA $56,782

Asheville, NC $56,702

Knoxville, TN $56,597

Shreveport, LA $56,591

Wilmington, NC $56,510

Frankfort, KY $56,393

Oklahoma City, OK $56,350

Chillicothe, OH $56,325

Longview, TX $56,319

Topeka, KS $56,301

Mobile, AL $56,208

Terre Haute, IN $56,183

Erie, PA $56,177

Altoona, PA $56,146

Melbourne, FL $56,128

Amarillo, TX $56,103

Killeen, TX $56,085

Fayetteville, AR $56,035

Sioux Falls, SD $55,992

Chattanooga, TN $55,955

Idaho Falls, ID $55,949

Gainesville, FL $55,819

Portsmouth, OH $55,789

Little Rock, AR $55,776

Lynchburg, VA $55,776

Lafayette, LA $55,752

Youngstown, OH $55,752

Temple, TX $55,727

Daytona Beach, FL $55,715

Clarksville, TN $55,708

Pensacola, FL $55,702

Hopkinsville, KY $55,517

Charleston, WV $55,511

Florence, SC $55,480

Sioux City, IA $55,443

Macon, GA $55,264

Tallahassee, FL $55,258

Fayetteville, NC $55,246

Waco, TX $55,233

Wichita Falls, TX $55,233

Pine Bluff, AR $55,209

Vincennes, IN $55,092

Lubbock, TX $55,067

Great Falls, MT $55,030

Alamogordo, NM $55,024

Abilene, TX $54,974

Rapid City, SD $54,894

Monroe, LA $54,894

Albany, GA $54,857

Huntington, WV $54,851

Jackson, MS $54,845

Greenville, MS $54,839

Parkersburg, WV $54,777

Montgomery, AL $54,765

Johnstown, PA $54,752

Springfield, MO $54,703

Biloxi, MS $54,672

Sumter, SC $54,543

Columbus, GA $54,536

Twin Falls, ID $54,499

Pascagoula, MS $54,419

Kingsport, TN $54,259

Gulfport, MS $54,240

Alexandria, LA $54,037

Fort Smith, AR $53,883

El Paso, TX $53,716

Helena, MT $53,636

Las Cruces, NM $53,438

Harlingen, TX $53,266

Pocatello, ID $53,210

Florence, AL $53,192

Brownsville, TX $53,179

Dothan, AL $53,081

Mcallen, TX $53,050

Columbus, MS $52,593

Altus, OK $52,310

Lawton, OK $52,192

Pierre, SD $51,970

What Skills Can Increase a CNC Lathe 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 Lathe 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	$64,153	4%
Written Communication	$63,536	3%
Lean	$62,920	2%
Visual Inspection	$62,303	1%
CAD	$62,303	1%
Problem Solving	$62,303	1%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a CNC Lathe Operator's Salary?

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

CNC Lathe Operator Salaries by Degree Level

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

Understanding how a CNC Lathe 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 February 01, 2026

$55,993

Average $61,686/year

$68,965

$4,666

Average $5,140/month

$5,747

$1,077

Average $1,186/week

$1,326

$27

Average $30/hour

$33

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$68,965	$5,747	$1,326	$33
Average	$61,686	$5,140	$1,186	$30
25th Percentile	$55,993	$4,666	$1,077	$27

Salaries of jobs related to CNC Lathe Operator

Salary Trends for CNC Lathe Operator

Salaries for a CNC Lathe Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $46,366 in 2023 to around $45,924 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of CNC Lathe Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of CNC Lathe Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$46,366

2024

$46,232

2025

$45,924

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$46,366
2024	$46,232
2025	$45,924
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for CNC Lathe Operator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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