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

A Cnc Plasma Operator's salary grows with experience: a CNC Machine Operator I (1-3 years)earns $48,285, a Cnc Plasma Operator (3-5 years)earns $61,136, a CNC Machine Operator III (5-7 years)earns $69,536,

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

Cnc Plasma Operator salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Cnc Plasma Operator roles are District of Columbia $67,212, California $66,957, Massachusetts $66,065. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

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

Salaries for Cnc Plasma Operator level roles vary by specialization: Cnc Machine Operator: $63,991; CNC Mill Operator: $63,686; CNC Lathe Operator: $61,732; CNC Operator: $58,797; Metal CNC Operator: $45,785.

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

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

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

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Cnc Plasma Operator in the United States is $60,705 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $73,337
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,495 to $67,317
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $48,841

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Cnc Plasma Operator Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$67,317	$5,610	$1,295	$32
Average	$60,705	$5,059	$1,167	$29
25th Percentile	$54,495	$4,541	$1,048	$26

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Key Factors That Influence Cnc Plasma Operator Salaries

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

District of Columbia: $67,212.
California: $66,957.
Massachusetts: $66,065.

District of Columbia $67,212

California $66,957

Massachusetts $66,065

Washington $65,822

New Jersey $65,798

Alaska $65,713

Connecticut $64,875

New York $64,535

Hawaii $63,448

Rhode Island $62,938

Maryland $62,592

Minnesota $62,119

Colorado $61,937

Illinois $61,876

Oregon $61,645

Delaware $61,475

New Hampshire $61,369

Virginia $61,129

Pennsylvania $60,431

Nevada $60,079

North Dakota $59,964

Michigan $59,782

Wisconsin $59,715

Vermont $59,581

Texas $59,211

Maine $59,187

Arizona $59,150

Ohio $59,108

Georgia $58,549

Indiana $58,270

Wyoming $58,216

Utah $58,131

Iowa $58,094

Kansas $57,803

Louisiana $57,718

North Carolina $57,687

Missouri $57,675

Florida $57,439

Montana $57,311

Nebraska $57,190

Kentucky $57,123

South Carolina $56,880

Tennessee $56,728

Idaho $56,668

New Mexico $56,225

Oklahoma $56,127

Alabama $55,769

South Dakota $55,168

Arkansas $54,840

West Virginia $54,664

Mississippi $54,136

Top Paying Cities for Cnc Plasma 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: $76,567
San Francisco: $75,728
Oakland: $74,132

San Jose, CA $76,567

San Francisco, CA $75,728

Oakland, CA $74,132

New York, NY $69,895

Paramus, NJ $69,045

Queens Village, NY $69,042

Passaic, NJ $68,984

Bergenfield, NJ $68,979

Stamford, CT $68,845

Huntington, NY $68,820

Newark, NJ $68,371

Bridgeport, CT $68,243

Vallejo, CA $68,123

New Brunswick, NJ $68,098

Petaluma, CA $68,062

Middlesex, NJ $67,947

Somerset, NJ $67,904

Santa Cruz, CA $67,825

Boston, MA $67,455

Monterey, CA $67,242

Seattle, WA $67,103

Santa Rosa, CA $67,091

Los Angeles, CA $67,072

Juneau, AK $66,915

Washington, DC $66,848

Orange, CA $66,632

Santa Ana, CA $66,471

Long Beach, CA $66,411

Anaheim, CA $66,399

Anchorage, AK $66,368

Santa Maria, CA $66,186

Everett, WA $66,174

Danbury, CT $65,960

Bremerton, WA $65,877

Tacoma, WA $65,658

New Suffolk, NY $65,657

Sacramento, CA $65,640

Santa Barbara, CA $65,573

Trenton, NJ $65,506

San Diego, CA $65,506

Brockton, MA $65,439

Fairbanks, AK $65,291

Lompoc, CA $65,136

Lowell, MA $65,087

Ventura, CA $65,075

Nashua, NH $65,063

Stockton, CA $65,057

Modesto, CA $64,614

Poughkeepsie, NY $64,480

Olympia, WA $64,365

Kennewick, WA $64,365

New Haven, CT $64,341

Lawrence, MA $64,122

Hartford, CT $64,061

Riverside, CA $64,049

New Bedford, MA $63,989

Richland, WA $63,989

Bakersfield, CA $63,904

San Bernardino, CA $63,879

New Britain, CT $63,873

Atlantic City, NJ $63,873

New London, CT $63,849

Norwich, CT $63,831

Portsmouth, NH $63,819

Boulder, CO $63,690

Portland, OR $63,606

Worcester, MA $63,600

Minneapolis, MN $63,412

Philadelphia, PA $63,327

Honolulu, HI $63,127

Saint Paul, MN $63,097

Vineland, NJ $63,084

Providence, RI $62,908

Chicago, IL $62,732

Bellingham, WA $62,659

Springfield, MA $62,611

Baltimore, MD $62,592

Chico, CA $62,441

Pittsfield, MA $62,277

Manchester, NH $62,161

Spokane, WA $61,894

Denver, CO $61,888

Albany, NY $61,603

Troy, NY $61,579

Nassau, NY $61,514

Schenectady, NY $61,451

Wilmington, DE $61,403

Burlington, VT $61,318

Salem, OR $61,293

Portland, ME $61,105

Yakima, WA $61,044

Rochester, MN $60,856

Reno, NV $60,826

Fresno, CA $60,826

Milwaukee, WI $60,771

Detroit, MI $60,711

Ann Arbor, MI $60,700

Allentown, PA $60,692

Colorado Springs, CO $60,589

Syracuse, NY $60,559

Carson City, NV $60,559

Houston, TX $60,474

Eugene, OR $60,443

Gary, IN $60,371

Springfield, OR $60,322

Bismarck, ND $60,310

Galveston, TX $60,267

Medford, OR $60,176

Fort Collins, CO $60,152

Concord, NH $60,122

Austin, TX $60,104

Mesa, AZ $59,976

Reading, PA $59,970

Phoenix, AZ $59,964

Dallas, TX $59,946

Saint Cloud, MN $59,887

Madison, WI $59,806

Utica, NY $59,642

Rochester, NY $59,545

Des Moines, IA $59,539

Raleigh, NC $59,533

Atlanta, GA $59,442

Battle Creek, MI $59,424

Salt Lake City, UT $59,405

Lancaster, PA $59,314

Harrisburg, PA $59,229

Kansas City, MO $59,169

Champaign, IL $59,157

Kansas City, KS $59,157

Fort Worth, TX $59,150

Columbus, OH $59,140

Boca Raton, FL $59,126

Pittsburgh, PA $59,102

Richmond, VA $59,078

Indianapolis, IN $59,065

Cleveland, OH $59,059

Las Vegas, NV $58,987

Cincinnati, OH $58,987

Petersburg, VA $58,896

Huntsville, AL $58,804

Lansing, MI $58,764

Lebanon, PA $58,756

Pueblo, CO $58,750

Appleton, WI $58,732

Buffalo, NY $58,707

Dayton, OH $58,689

Racine, WI $58,677

Charlotte, NC $58,671

Saint Louis, MO $58,653

York, PA $58,616

Elkhart, IN $58,616

Gastonia, NC $58,605

Billings, MT $58,590

Beaumont, TX $58,574

Lorain, OH $58,562

Benton Harbor, MI $58,549

Toledo, OH $58,537

Binghamton, NY $58,507

Rock Hill, SC $58,501

Rockford, IL $58,471

Springfield, IL $58,446

Elyria, OH $58,440

Fargo, ND $58,440

Flagstaff, AZ $58,398

Fort Lauderdale, FL $58,361

Duluth, MN $58,325

Miami, FL $58,325

Cheyenne, WY $58,282

Grand Forks, ND $58,282

Bangor, ME $58,149

Cedar Rapids, IA $58,082

Durham, NC $58,057

Louisville, KY $58,052

Grand Rapids, MI $58,040

Hialeah, FL $58,034

Casper, WY $57,949

Scranton, PA $57,876

New Orleans, LA $57,857

Virginia Beach, VA $57,851

Akron, OH $57,821

Peoria, IL $57,742

Sarasota, FL $57,730

Nashville, TN $57,687

Omaha, NE $57,687

Green Bay, WI $57,687

Baton Rouge, LA $57,657

Charleston, SC $57,645

Jamestown, NY $57,615

Davenport, IA $57,615

Tucson, AZ $57,584

Saint Petersburg, FL $57,548

Tampa, FL $57,536

Evansville, IN $57,499

Port Arthur, TX $57,499

Bradenton, FL $57,475

Santa Fe, NM $57,366

Orlando, FL $57,256

Clearwater, FL $57,238

Canton, OH $57,111

La Crosse, WI $57,111

Albuquerque, NM $57,074

Newport News, VA $57,068

High Point, NC $57,050

Ogden, UT $57,026

Corpus Christi, TX $56,977

Norfolk, VA $56,941

Laramie, WY $56,941

Rock Island, IL $56,904

Saginaw, MI $56,892

Jacksonville, FL $56,886

Salisbury, NC $56,874

Boise, ID $56,862

Moline, IL $56,832

Fort Myers, FL $56,813

Memphis, TN $56,801

Tulsa, OK $56,771

Waterloo, IA $56,734

Spartanburg, SC $56,674

Lincoln, NE $56,643

Fort Wayne, IN $56,631

Provo, UT $56,625

Cedar Falls, IA $56,552

San Antonio, TX $56,528

Greensboro, NC $56,504

South Bend, IN $56,498

Savannah, GA $56,431

Muskegon, MI $56,407

Birmingham, AL $56,401

Winston Salem, NC $56,371

Lake Charles, LA $56,225

Anderson, IN $56,212

Lexington, KY $56,194

Augusta, GA $56,176

Greenville, SC $56,176

Lima, OH $56,127

Wichita, KS $56,121

Tuscaloosa, AL $56,121

Columbia, SC $56,067

Springfield, OH $56,055

Asheville, NC $55,957

Bloomington, IN $55,915

Knoxville, TN $55,696

Shreveport, LA $55,690

Wilmington, NC $55,611

Roanoke, VA $55,611

Topeka, KS $55,502

Frankfort, KY $55,495

Oklahoma City, OK $55,454

Chillicothe, OH $55,429

Longview, TX $55,423

Melbourne, FL $55,417

Sioux Falls, SD $55,320

Mobile, AL $55,314

Terre Haute, IN $55,290

Altoona, PA $55,253

Amarillo, TX $55,211

Killeen, TX $55,193

Fayetteville, AR $55,144

Chattanooga, TN $55,126

Sioux City, IA $55,071

Idaho Falls, ID $55,059

Lynchburg, VA $55,010

Gainesville, FL $54,932

Portsmouth, OH $54,901

Little Rock, AR $54,889

Lafayette, LA $54,865

Youngstown, OH $54,865

Daytona Beach, FL $54,828

Clarksville, TN $54,822

Pensacola, FL $54,816

Temple, TX $54,812

Hopkinsville, KY $54,634

Erie, PA $54,622

Florence, SC $54,598

Charleston, WV $54,501

Great Falls, MT $54,470

Macon, GA $54,385

Tallahassee, FL $54,379

Fayetteville, NC $54,367

Waco, TX $54,355

Helena, MT $54,312

Pine Bluff, AR $54,289

Vincennes, IN $54,215

Lubbock, TX $54,191

Alamogordo, NM $54,154

Twin Falls, ID $54,100

Rapid City, SD $54,082

Jackson, MS $53,972

Huntington, WV $53,968

Greenville, MS $53,966

Parkersburg, WV $53,904

Montgomery, AL $53,893

Wichita Falls, TX $53,833

Springfield, MO $53,833

Biloxi, MS $53,802

Monroe, LA $53,742

Johnstown, PA $53,699

Sumter, SC $53,675

Columbus, GA $53,669

Pascagoula, MS $53,554

Abilene, TX $53,554

Kingsport, TN $53,396

Albany, GA $53,396

Gulfport, MS $53,377

Alexandria, LA $53,177

Fort Smith, AR $53,025

El Paso, TX $52,861

Las Cruces, NM $52,588

Harlingen, TX $52,434

Pocatello, ID $52,424

Florence, AL $52,345

Brownsville, TX $52,333

Mcallen, TX $52,206

Dothan, AL $52,121

Columbus, MS $51,760

Altus, OK $51,477

Lawton, OK $51,362

Pierre, SD $51,144

What Skills Can Increase a Cnc Plasma 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 Plasma 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	$63,133	4%
Written Communication	$62,526	3%
Lean	$61,919	2%
Visual Inspection	$61,312	1%
CAD	$61,312	1%
Problem Solving	$61,312	1%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Cnc Plasma Operator's Salary?

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

Cnc Plasma Operator Salaries by Degree Level

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

Understanding how a Cnc Plasma 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 May 01, 2026

$54,495

Average $60,705/year

$67,317

$4,541

Average $5,059/month

$5,610

$1,048

Average $1,167/week

$1,295

$26

Average $29/hour

$32

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$67,317	$5,610	$1,295	$32
Average	$60,705	$5,059	$1,167	$29
25th Percentile	$54,495	$4,541	$1,048	$26

Salaries of jobs related to Cnc Plasma Operator

Salary Trends for Cnc Plasma Operator

Salaries for a Cnc Plasma Operator can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $46,318 in 2023 to around $45,877 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Cnc Plasma Operator salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Cnc Plasma Operator Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$46,318

2024

$46,185

2025

$45,877

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$46,318
2024	$46,185
2025	$45,877
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Cnc Plasma Operator

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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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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