What are the main factors that influence a Cnc Machine 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 Machine Operator's salary?

A Cnc Machine Operator's salary grows with experience: starting around $62,401 for beginners, reaching about $64,922 at mid-level, and approach $68,170 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Cnc Machine Operator?

Cnc Machine Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Cnc Machine Operator roles are District of Columbia $70,784, California $70,516, Massachusetts $69,576. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Cnc Machine Operator roles make?

Salaries for Cnc Machine Operator level roles vary by specialization: CNC Machine Programmer II: $72,328; CNC Laser Machine Operator III: $71,300; CNC Machine Operator III: $71,254; CNC Machine Programmer: $63,506; CNC Machine Programmer I: $63,386.

How do different companies affect a Cnc Machine Operator's salary?

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

How much does a Cnc Machine Operator make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cnc Machine Operator in the United States is $63,931 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $76,788
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $57,451 to $70,661
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $51,551

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Cnc Machine Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,661	$5,888	$1,359	$34
Average	$63,931	$5,328	$1,229	$31
25th Percentile	$57,451	$4,788	$1,105	$28

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Key Factors That Influence Cnc Machine Operator Salaries

A Cnc Machine 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 Experience Level Affects Cnc Machine Operator Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Cnc Machine Operator'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): $62,401
Early Career (1-2 years): $62,581
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $64,922
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $67,954
Expert (over 8 years): $68,170

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Cnc Machine Operator	$62,401
Intermediate Level Cnc Machine Operator	$62,581
Senior Level Cnc Machine Operator	$64,922
Specialist Level Cnc Machine Operator	$67,954
Expert Level Cnc Machine Operator	$68,170

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Cnc Machine 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 Machine Operators. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $70,784.
California: $70,516.
Massachusetts: $69,576.

District of Columbia $70,784 California $70,516 Massachusetts $69,576 Washington $69,320 New Jersey $69,294 Alaska $69,205 Connecticut $68,323 New York $67,965

Hawaii $66,820 Rhode Island $66,283 Maryland $65,919 Minnesota $65,420 Colorado $65,228 Illinois $65,165 Oregon $64,922 Delaware $64,743

New Hampshire $64,630 Virginia $64,378 Pennsylvania $63,643 Nevada $63,272 North Dakota $63,151 Michigan $62,959 Wisconsin $62,889 Vermont $62,748

Texas $62,358 Maine $62,332 Arizona $62,294 Ohio $62,249 Georgia $61,661 Indiana $61,367 Wyoming $61,310 Utah $61,220

Iowa $61,182 Kansas $60,875 Louisiana $60,785 North Carolina $60,753 Missouri $60,741 Florida $60,491 Montana $60,357 Nebraska $60,229

Kentucky $60,159 South Carolina $59,903 Tennessee $59,743 Idaho $59,679 New Mexico $59,213 Oklahoma $59,110 Alabama $58,733 South Dakota $58,100

Arkansas $57,755 West Virginia $57,570 Mississippi $57,013

Top Paying Cities for Cnc Machine 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: $80,636
San Francisco: $79,843
Oakland: $78,072

San Jose, CA $80,636

San Francisco, CA $79,843

Oakland, CA $78,072

New York, NY $74,089

Queens Village, NY $73,610

Paramus, NJ $73,098

Passaic, NJ $73,034

Bergenfield, NJ $72,971

Stamford, CT $72,875

Huntington, NY $72,811

Newark, NJ $72,395

Bridgeport, CT $72,267

New Brunswick, NJ $72,056

Vallejo, CA $71,922

Middlesex, NJ $71,884

Somerset, NJ $71,826

Petaluma, CA $71,679

Santa Cruz, CA $71,430

Boston, MA $71,302

Monterey, CA $70,982

Fairbanks, AK $70,938

Los Angeles, CA $70,816

Washington, DC $70,784

Seattle, WA $70,669

Santa Rosa, CA $70,656

Juneau, AK $70,471

Orange, CA $70,260

Anchorage, AK $70,145

Anaheim, CA $70,100

Santa Ana, CA $70,004

Nassau, NY $69,966

Long Beach, CA $69,940

Danbury, CT $69,921

Santa Maria, CA $69,704

Everett, WA $69,691

Bremerton, WA $69,378

Trenton, NJ $69,256

Sacramento, CA $69,231

San Diego, CA $69,199

Brockton, MA $69,173

Tacoma, WA $69,147

Santa Barbara, CA $69,058

Lowell, MA $68,802

New Suffolk, NY $68,777

Nashua, NH $68,700

Lompoc, CA $68,598

Ventura, CA $68,534

Stockton, CA $68,515

New Haven, CT $68,387

Atlantic City, NJ $68,220

Hartford, CT $68,080

Modesto, CA $68,048

Poughkeepsie, NY $67,907

New Britain, CT $67,875

Olympia, WA $67,786

Kennewick, WA $67,786

New London, CT $67,773

Norwich, CT $67,754

Lawrence, MA $67,722

Bakersfield, CA $67,543

Riverside, CA $67,453

New Bedford, MA $67,453

Richland, WA $67,389

Portsmouth, NH $67,338

Vineland, NJ $67,325

San Bernardino, CA $67,274

Boulder, CO $67,095

Worcester, MA $67,044

Portland, OR $66,987

Saint Paul, MN $66,910

Minneapolis, MN $66,910

Philadelphia, PA $66,820

Honolulu, HI $66,482

Springfield, MA $66,258

Providence, RI $66,251

Chicago, IL $66,066

Bellingham, WA $65,989

Baltimore, MD $65,919

Chico, CA $65,759

Wilmington, DE $65,650

Pittsfield, MA $65,587

Manchester, NH $65,465

Spokane, WA $65,184

Denver, CO $65,177

Albany, NY $64,877

Troy, NY $64,851

Schenectady, NY $64,717

Burlington, VT $64,576

Portland, ME $64,353

Salem, OR $64,301

Yakima, WA $64,289

Ann Arbor, MI $64,270

Rochester, MN $64,091

Fresno, CA $64,059

Reno, NV $64,059

Milwaukee, WI $64,001

Detroit, MI $63,937

Allentown, PA $63,918

Carson City, NV $63,912

Houston, TX $63,816

Colorado Springs, CO $63,809

Syracuse, NY $63,777

Eugene, OR $63,656

Bismarck, ND $63,579

Gary, IN $63,579

Galveston, TX $63,579

Springfield, OR $63,528

Medford, OR $63,375

Fort Collins, CO $63,349

Austin, TX $63,298

Mesa, AZ $63,164

Phoenix, AZ $63,151

Dallas, TX $63,132

Reading, PA $63,093

Saint Cloud, MN $63,068

Concord, NH $63,010

Madison, WI $62,985

Utica, NY $62,812

Raleigh, NC $62,761

Las Vegas, NV $62,754

Rochester, NY $62,710

Des Moines, IA $62,703

Atlanta, GA $62,601

Battle Creek, MI $62,582

Salt Lake City, UT $62,563

Lancaster, PA $62,467

Champaign, IL $62,454

Harrisburg, PA $62,377

Durham, NC $62,320

Kansas City, MO $62,313

Kansas City, KS $62,300

Fort Worth, TX $62,294

Boca Raton, FL $62,269

Cleveland, OH $62,262

Columbus, OH $62,249

Pittsburgh, PA $62,243

Richmond, VA $62,217

Indianapolis, IN $62,205

Cincinnati, OH $62,121

Petersburg, VA $62,026

Billings, MT $61,885

Lansing, MI $61,885

Huntsville, AL $61,885

Lebanon, PA $61,879

Dayton, OH $61,872

Pueblo, CO $61,872

Appleton, WI $61,853

Buffalo, NY $61,827

Racine, WI $61,795

Charlotte, NC $61,789

Saint Louis, MO $61,770

Springfield, IL $61,744

Elkhart, IN $61,731

York, PA $61,731

Gastonia, NC $61,725

Benton Harbor, MI $61,725

Beaumont, TX $61,687

Lorain, OH $61,674

Toledo, OH $61,648

Binghamton, NY $61,616

Rock Hill, SC $61,610

Rockford, IL $61,578

Fargo, ND $61,546

Elyria, OH $61,546

Flagstaff, AZ $61,501

Fort Lauderdale, FL $61,463

Miami, FL $61,425

Duluth, MN $61,322

Bangor, ME $61,239

Cedar Rapids, IA $61,169

Louisville, KY $61,137

Grand Rapids, MI $61,124

Hialeah, FL $61,118

Casper, WY $61,028

Scranton, PA $60,952

New Orleans, LA $60,932

Virginia Beach, VA $60,926

Akron, OH $60,894

Peoria, IL $60,811

Sarasota, FL $60,798

Green Bay, WI $60,753

Baton Rouge, LA $60,721

Charleston, SC $60,709

Nashville, TN $60,689

Jamestown, NY $60,677

Davenport, IA $60,677

Tucson, AZ $60,645

Cheyenne, WY $60,625

Saint Petersburg, FL $60,606

Tampa, FL $60,594

Omaha, NE $60,581

Port Arthur, TX $60,555

Evansville, IN $60,555

Bradenton, FL $60,530

Santa Fe, NM $60,415

Orlando, FL $60,351

Clearwater, FL $60,280

Canton, OH $60,146

La Crosse, WI $60,146

Grand Forks, ND $60,127

Albuquerque, NM $60,108

Tulsa, OK $60,108

Newport News, VA $60,101

High Point, NC $60,082

Ogden, UT $60,056

Corpus Christi, TX $60,005

Laramie, WY $59,967

Norfolk, VA $59,967

Rock Island, IL $59,929

Saginaw, MI $59,916

Jacksonville, FL $59,909

Salisbury, NC $59,897

Memphis, TN $59,884

Moline, IL $59,852

Fort Myers, FL $59,833

Waterloo, IA $59,750

Spartanburg, SC $59,686

Lincoln, NE $59,654

Fort Wayne, IN $59,641

Birmingham, AL $59,571

Cedar Falls, IA $59,558

Provo, UT $59,551

Springfield, OH $59,545

San Antonio, TX $59,532

Greensboro, NC $59,507

South Bend, IN $59,500

Winston Salem, NC $59,494

Boise, ID $59,475

Savannah, GA $59,430

Muskegon, MI $59,315

Lima, OH $59,238

Lake Charles, LA $59,213

Anderson, IN $59,200

Lexington, KY $59,181

Augusta, GA $59,161

Greenville, SC $59,161

Wichita, KS $59,104

Tuscaloosa, AL $59,104

Columbia, SC $59,046

Bloomington, IN $58,887

Roanoke, VA $58,848

Asheville, NC $58,765

Knoxville, TN $58,656

Shreveport, LA $58,650

Wilmington, NC $58,567

Frankfort, KY $58,445

Oklahoma City, OK $58,401

Chillicothe, OH $58,375

Longview, TX $58,369

Topeka, KS $58,350

Mobile, AL $58,254

Terre Haute, IN $58,228

Erie, PA $58,222

Altoona, PA $58,190

Melbourne, FL $58,171

Amarillo, TX $58,145

Killeen, TX $58,126

Fayetteville, AR $58,075

Sioux Falls, SD $58,030

Chattanooga, TN $57,992

Idaho Falls, ID $57,985

Gainesville, FL $57,851

Portsmouth, OH $57,819

Little Rock, AR $57,806

Lynchburg, VA $57,806

Lafayette, LA $57,781

Youngstown, OH $57,781

Temple, TX $57,755

Daytona Beach, FL $57,742

Clarksville, TN $57,736

Pensacola, FL $57,729

Hopkinsville, KY $57,538

Charleston, WV $57,531

Florence, SC $57,499

Sioux City, IA $57,461

Macon, GA $57,276

Tallahassee, FL $57,269

Fayetteville, NC $57,256

Waco, TX $57,244

Wichita Falls, TX $57,244

Pine Bluff, AR $57,218

Vincennes, IN $57,097

Lubbock, TX $57,071

Great Falls, MT $57,033

Alamogordo, NM $57,026

Abilene, TX $56,975

Rapid City, SD $56,892

Monroe, LA $56,892

Albany, GA $56,854

Huntington, WV $56,847

Jackson, MS $56,841

Greenville, MS $56,834

Parkersburg, WV $56,770

Montgomery, AL $56,758

Johnstown, PA $56,745

Springfield, MO $56,694

Biloxi, MS $56,662

Sumter, SC $56,528

Columbus, GA $56,521

Twin Falls, ID $56,483

Pascagoula, MS $56,400

Kingsport, TN $56,233

Gulfport, MS $56,214

Alexandria, LA $56,003

Fort Smith, AR $55,843

El Paso, TX $55,671

Helena, MT $55,588

Las Cruces, NM $55,383

Harlingen, TX $55,204

Pocatello, ID $55,147

Florence, AL $55,127

Brownsville, TX $55,115

Dothan, AL $55,012

Mcallen, TX $54,980

Columbus, MS $54,507

Altus, OK $54,213

Lawton, OK $54,092

Pierre, SD $53,862

What Skills Can Increase a Cnc Machine 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 Machine 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	$66,488	4%
Written Communication	$65,849	3%
Lean	$65,209	2%
Visual Inspection	$64,570	1%
CAD	$64,570	1%
Problem Solving	$64,570	1%

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How Education impacts a Cnc Machine Operator's Salary?

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

Cnc Machine Operator Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Cnc Machine 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 Machine Operator Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Cnc Machine 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 January 01, 2026

$57,451

Average $63,931/year

$70,661

$4,788

Average $5,328/month

$5,888

$1,105

Average $1,229/week

$1,359

$28

Average $31/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$70,661	$5,888	$1,359	$34
Average	$63,931	$5,328	$1,229	$31
25th Percentile	$57,451	$4,788	$1,105	$28

Salaries of jobs related to Cnc Machine Operator

Salary Trends for Cnc Machine Operator

Salaries for a Cnc Machine Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $48,826 in 2023 to around $48,361 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cnc Machine Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cnc Machine Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$48,826

2024

$48,685

2025

$48,361

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$48,826
2024	$48,685
2025	$48,361
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Cnc Machine Operator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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