What are the main factors that influence a CNC Machinist Programmer'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 Machinist Programmer's salary?

A CNC Machinist Programmer's salary grows with experience: a CNC Machine Operator I (1-3 years)earns $50,831, a CNC Machine Operator II (3-5 years)earns $64,339, a CNC Machinist Programmer (5-7 years)earns $73,193,

What are the highest paying states for a CNC Machinist Programmer?

CNC Machinist Programmer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for CNC Machinist Programmer roles are District of Columbia $81,645, California $81,335, Massachusetts $80,251. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of CNC Machinist Programmer roles make?

Salaries for CNC Machinist Programmer level roles vary by specialization: Cnc Lathe Machinist: $84,524; CNC Milling Machinist: $66,594; Cnc Mill Machinist: $62,884; CNC Advanced Machinist: $62,164; CNC Machinist 1: $61,880.

How do different companies affect a CNC Machinist Programmer's salary?

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

How much does a CNC Machinist Programmer make in the United States?

As of March 01, 2026, the average salary for a CNC Machinist Programmer in the United States is $73,740 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $35.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $87,947
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $65,332 to $81,176
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $57,678

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CNC Machinist Programmer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$81,176	$6,765	$1,561	$39
Average	$73,740	$6,145	$1,418	$35
25th Percentile	$65,332	$5,444	$1,256	$31

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence CNC Machinist Programmer Salaries

A CNC Machinist Programmer'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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do CNC Machinist Programmer 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 Machinist Programmers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $81,645.
California: $81,335.
Massachusetts: $80,251.

District of Columbia $81,645 California $81,335 Massachusetts $80,251 Washington $79,956 New Jersey $79,927 Alaska $79,824 Connecticut $78,806 New York $78,393

Hawaii $77,073 Rhode Island $76,454 Maryland $76,033 Minnesota $75,458 Colorado $75,237 Illinois $75,163 Oregon $74,883 Delaware $74,677

New Hampshire $74,547 Virginia $74,256 Pennsylvania $73,408 Nevada $72,981 North Dakota $72,840 Michigan $72,619 Wisconsin $72,538 Vermont $72,376

Texas $71,926 Maine $71,897 Arizona $71,852 Ohio $71,801 Georgia $71,122 Indiana $70,783 Wyoming $70,717 Utah $70,614

Iowa $70,569 Kansas $70,215 Louisiana $70,112 North Carolina $70,075 Missouri $70,060 Florida $69,773 Montana $69,618 Nebraska $69,471

Kentucky $69,389 South Carolina $69,094 Tennessee $68,910 Idaho $68,836 New Mexico $68,298 Oklahoma $68,180 Alabama $67,745 South Dakota $67,015

Arkansas $66,617 West Virginia $66,403 Mississippi $65,761

Top Paying Cities for CNC Machinist Programmers

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: $93,008
San Francisco: $92,094
Oakland: $90,051

San Jose, CA $93,008

San Francisco, CA $92,094

Oakland, CA $90,051

New York, NY $85,457

Queens Village, NY $84,904

Paramus, NJ $84,314

Passaic, NJ $84,241

Bergenfield, NJ $84,167

Stamford, CT $84,056

Huntington, NY $83,983

Newark, NJ $83,503

Bridgeport, CT $83,356

New Brunswick, NJ $83,112

Vallejo, CA $82,958

Middlesex, NJ $82,913

Somerset, NJ $82,847

Petaluma, CA $82,677

Santa Cruz, CA $82,390

Boston, MA $82,242

Monterey, CA $81,874

Fairbanks, AK $81,822

Los Angeles, CA $81,682

Washington, DC $81,645

Seattle, WA $81,512

Santa Rosa, CA $81,498

Juneau, AK $81,284

Orange, CA $81,040

Anchorage, AK $80,908

Anaheim, CA $80,856

Santa Ana, CA $80,745

Nassau, NY $80,701

Long Beach, CA $80,672

Danbury, CT $80,650

Santa Maria, CA $80,399

Everett, WA $80,384

Bremerton, WA $80,023

Trenton, NJ $79,883

Sacramento, CA $79,853

San Diego, CA $79,816

Brockton, MA $79,787

Tacoma, WA $79,757

Santa Barbara, CA $79,654

Lowell, MA $79,359

New Suffolk, NY $79,330

Nashua, NH $79,241

Lompoc, CA $79,123

Ventura, CA $79,049

Stockton, CA $79,027

New Haven, CT $78,880

Atlantic City, NJ $78,688

Hartford, CT $78,526

Modesto, CA $78,489

Poughkeepsie, NY $78,327

New Britain, CT $78,290

Olympia, WA $78,187

Kennewick, WA $78,187

New London, CT $78,172

Norwich, CT $78,150

Lawrence, MA $78,113

Bakersfield, CA $77,906

Riverside, CA $77,803

New Bedford, MA $77,803

Richland, WA $77,729

Portsmouth, NH $77,670

Vineland, NJ $77,656

San Bernardino, CA $77,597

Boulder, CO $77,390

Worcester, MA $77,331

Portland, OR $77,265

Saint Paul, MN $77,176

Minneapolis, MN $77,176

Philadelphia, PA $77,073

Honolulu, HI $76,682

Springfield, MA $76,424

Providence, RI $76,417

Chicago, IL $76,203

Bellingham, WA $76,115

Baltimore, MD $76,033

Chico, CA $75,849

Wilmington, DE $75,724

Pittsfield, MA $75,650

Manchester, NH $75,510

Spokane, WA $75,185

Denver, CO $75,178

Albany, NY $74,831

Troy, NY $74,802

Schenectady, NY $74,647

Burlington, VT $74,485

Portland, ME $74,227

Salem, OR $74,168

Yakima, WA $74,153

Ann Arbor, MI $74,131

Rochester, MN $73,924

Fresno, CA $73,888

Reno, NV $73,888

Milwaukee, WI $73,821

Detroit, MI $73,747

Allentown, PA $73,725

Carson City, NV $73,718

Houston, TX $73,607

Colorado Springs, CO $73,600

Syracuse, NY $73,563

Eugene, OR $73,423

Bismarck, ND $73,335

Gary, IN $73,335

Galveston, TX $73,335

Springfield, OR $73,276

Medford, OR $73,099

Fort Collins, CO $73,069

Austin, TX $73,010

Mesa, AZ $72,855

Phoenix, AZ $72,840

Dallas, TX $72,818

Reading, PA $72,774

Saint Cloud, MN $72,745

Concord, NH $72,678

Madison, WI $72,649

Utica, NY $72,450

Raleigh, NC $72,391

Las Vegas, NV $72,383

Rochester, NY $72,332

Des Moines, IA $72,324

Atlanta, GA $72,206

Battle Creek, MI $72,184

Salt Lake City, UT $72,162

Lancaster, PA $72,051

Champaign, IL $72,037

Harrisburg, PA $71,948

Durham, NC $71,882

Kansas City, MO $71,874

Kansas City, KS $71,860

Fort Worth, TX $71,852

Boca Raton, FL $71,823

Cleveland, OH $71,815

Columbus, OH $71,801

Pittsburgh, PA $71,793

Richmond, VA $71,764

Indianapolis, IN $71,749

Cincinnati, OH $71,653

Petersburg, VA $71,543

Billings, MT $71,380

Lansing, MI $71,380

Huntsville, AL $71,380

Lebanon, PA $71,373

Dayton, OH $71,366

Pueblo, CO $71,366

Appleton, WI $71,344

Buffalo, NY $71,314

Racine, WI $71,277

Charlotte, NC $71,270

Saint Louis, MO $71,248

Springfield, IL $71,218

Elkhart, IN $71,203

York, PA $71,203

Gastonia, NC $71,196

Benton Harbor, MI $71,196

Beaumont, TX $71,152

Lorain, OH $71,137

Toledo, OH $71,108

Binghamton, NY $71,071

Rock Hill, SC $71,063

Rockford, IL $71,026

Fargo, ND $70,990

Elyria, OH $70,990

Flagstaff, AZ $70,938

Fort Lauderdale, FL $70,894

Miami, FL $70,849

Duluth, MN $70,732

Bangor, ME $70,636

Cedar Rapids, IA $70,555

Louisville, KY $70,518

Grand Rapids, MI $70,503

Hialeah, FL $70,496

Casper, WY $70,392

Scranton, PA $70,304

New Orleans, LA $70,282

Virginia Beach, VA $70,274

Akron, OH $70,237

Peoria, IL $70,142

Sarasota, FL $70,127

Green Bay, WI $70,075

Baton Rouge, LA $70,038

Charleston, SC $70,024

Nashville, TN $70,001

Jamestown, NY $69,987

Davenport, IA $69,987

Tucson, AZ $69,950

Cheyenne, WY $69,928

Saint Petersburg, FL $69,906

Tampa, FL $69,891

Omaha, NE $69,876

Port Arthur, TX $69,847

Evansville, IN $69,847

Bradenton, FL $69,817

Santa Fe, NM $69,684

Orlando, FL $69,611

Clearwater, FL $69,530

Canton, OH $69,375

La Crosse, WI $69,375

Grand Forks, ND $69,353

Albuquerque, NM $69,330

Tulsa, OK $69,330

Newport News, VA $69,323

High Point, NC $69,301

Ogden, UT $69,271

Corpus Christi, TX $69,212

Laramie, WY $69,168

Norfolk, VA $69,168

Rock Island, IL $69,124

Saginaw, MI $69,109

Jacksonville, FL $69,102

Salisbury, NC $69,087

Memphis, TN $69,072

Moline, IL $69,035

Fort Myers, FL $69,013

Waterloo, IA $68,917

Spartanburg, SC $68,844

Lincoln, NE $68,807

Fort Wayne, IN $68,792

Birmingham, AL $68,711

Cedar Falls, IA $68,696

Provo, UT $68,689

Springfield, OH $68,682

San Antonio, TX $68,667

Greensboro, NC $68,637

South Bend, IN $68,630

Winston Salem, NC $68,623

Boise, ID $68,600

Savannah, GA $68,549

Muskegon, MI $68,416

Lima, OH $68,328

Lake Charles, LA $68,298

Anderson, IN $68,283

Lexington, KY $68,261

Augusta, GA $68,239

Greenville, SC $68,239

Wichita, KS $68,173

Tuscaloosa, AL $68,173

Columbia, SC $68,106

Bloomington, IN $67,922

Roanoke, VA $67,878

Asheville, NC $67,782

Knoxville, TN $67,657

Shreveport, LA $67,649

Wilmington, NC $67,553

Frankfort, KY $67,413

Oklahoma City, OK $67,362

Chillicothe, OH $67,332

Longview, TX $67,325

Topeka, KS $67,303

Mobile, AL $67,192

Terre Haute, IN $67,162

Erie, PA $67,155

Altoona, PA $67,118

Melbourne, FL $67,096

Amarillo, TX $67,067

Killeen, TX $67,044

Fayetteville, AR $66,986

Sioux Falls, SD $66,934

Chattanooga, TN $66,890

Idaho Falls, ID $66,882

Gainesville, FL $66,727

Portsmouth, OH $66,691

Little Rock, AR $66,676

Lynchburg, VA $66,676

Lafayette, LA $66,646

Youngstown, OH $66,646

Temple, TX $66,617

Daytona Beach, FL $66,602

Clarksville, TN $66,595

Pensacola, FL $66,587

Hopkinsville, KY $66,366

Charleston, WV $66,359

Florence, SC $66,322

Sioux City, IA $66,278

Macon, GA $66,064

Tallahassee, FL $66,056

Fayetteville, NC $66,042

Waco, TX $66,027

Wichita Falls, TX $66,027

Pine Bluff, AR $65,997

Vincennes, IN $65,857

Lubbock, TX $65,828

Great Falls, MT $65,784

Alamogordo, NM $65,776

Abilene, TX $65,717

Rapid City, SD $65,621

Monroe, LA $65,621

Albany, GA $65,577

Huntington, WV $65,570

Jackson, MS $65,562

Greenville, MS $65,555

Parkersburg, WV $65,481

Montgomery, AL $65,466

Johnstown, PA $65,452

Springfield, MO $65,393

Biloxi, MS $65,356

Sumter, SC $65,201

Columbus, GA $65,194

Twin Falls, ID $65,149

Pascagoula, MS $65,054

Kingsport, TN $64,862

Gulfport, MS $64,840

Alexandria, LA $64,596

Fort Smith, AR $64,412

El Paso, TX $64,213

Helena, MT $64,117

Las Cruces, NM $63,881

Harlingen, TX $63,675

Pocatello, ID $63,608

Florence, AL $63,586

Brownsville, TX $63,571

Dothan, AL $63,453

Mcallen, TX $63,416

Columbus, MS $62,871

Altus, OK $62,532

Lawton, OK $62,391

Pierre, SD $62,126

What Skills Can Increase a CNC Machinist Programmer'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 Machinist Programmer'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	$77,427	5%
Analysis	$76,690	4%
Mechanical Drawing	$76,690	4%
Work Ethic	$76,690	4%
Quality Assurance	$76,690	4%
Continuous Improvement	$76,690	4%

Get Latest Data

CNC Machinist Programmer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a CNC Machinist Programmer'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 March 01, 2026

$65,332

Average $73,740/year

$81,176

$5,444

Average $6,145/month

$6,765

$1,256

Average $1,418/week

$1,561

$31

Average $35/hour

$39

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$81,176	$6,765	$1,561	$39
Average	$73,740	$6,145	$1,418	$35
25th Percentile	$65,332	$5,444	$1,256	$31

Salaries of jobs related to CNC Machinist Programmer

Salary Trends for CNC Machinist Programmer

Salaries for a CNC Machinist Programmer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $59,224 in 2023 to around $58,629 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of CNC Machinist Programmer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of CNC Machinist Programmer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$59,224

2024

$59,033

2025

$58,629

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$59,224
2024	$59,033
2025	$58,629
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for CNC Machinist Programmer

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