Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Computer numerically controlled tool operators work in a field that combines mechanical abilities, math, and technology. Nationally, there are about 177,000 workers in this occupation, with a median annual salary of $49,970. The career emphasizes mechanical aptitude, fine motor skills, and attention to detail, along with mathematics, science, and computer-related skills. This mix supports work that relies on both hands-on precision and comfort with technology. While projected national employment growth is -10.7%, there are still an estimated 14,000 annual openings, indicating ongoing hiring needs even as overall employment is expected to decline. Career opportunities vary by location, with some states and metro areas offering higher median pay or stronger overall opportunity scores. People interested in related paths may also consider occupations such as machinists, drilling and boring machine tool setters and operators, model makers, tool and die makers, or patternmakers, wood as alternative or complementary career directions.
The national median annual salary for computer numerically controlled tool operators is $49,970. Pay varies across states and metro areas. Among the top states by opportunity score, median salaries range from $53,340 in New York to $107,920 in Washington, with California at $56,510, Colorado at $55,270, and Massachusetts at $61,630. This shows that some states offer substantially higher median pay than the national median. Top metro areas also show variation. For example, the Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro reports a median salary of $64,180, while San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont are near $59,600, and New York-Newark-Jersey City is $58,900. In contrast, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro has a median of $37,220. Overall, earnings potential depends significantly on location, with some regions offering much higher typical wages than others for this occupation.
Computer numerically controlled tool operators currently have national employment of about 177,000 workers. The occupation is projected to experience -10.7% employment growth, indicating an expected decline in total jobs over the projection period. Even with this negative growth, there are an estimated 14,000 annual openings. This combination suggests that while the overall number of positions may decrease, there will still be ongoing hiring activity, influenced by factors such as worker turnover and other job separations. All listed top states and metro areas share the same -10.7% projected growth rate, so the outlook pattern is consistent geographically in the supplied data. For individuals considering this career, it is important to weigh the national decline in projected employment against the continuing flow of annual openings, and to look closely at specific locations that align with their goals and circumstances.
Location plays a major role in the opportunity profile for computer numerically controlled tool operators. Among states, California has the highest employment level in this group at 21,680 and a median salary of $56,510, with an opportunity score of 67.38. Massachusetts shows a higher median salary of $61,630 with 2,500 employed and an opportunity score of 65.87. New York combines 5,530 employed and a median salary of $53,340 with an opportunity score of 65.78. Colorado and Washington also rank among the top states by opportunity score, with Washington standing out for a reported median salary of $107,920 and 2,270 employed. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and New York-Newark-Jersey City have the highest opportunity scores at 77.42 and 77.27, respectively, with median salaries close to $59,600. The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro has a lower median salary of $37,220 but still shows a relatively strong opportunity score of 64.47, highlighting notable differences between pay and opportunity across regions.
For computer numerically controlled tool operators, the typical education requirement is a high school diploma or equivalent. Beyond formal education, success in this field relies on a specific mix of skills. Key strengths include mechanical skills and fine motor abilities, which support precise, hands-on work. Being detail oriented is important, as is comfort with mathematics and science. Physical strength and stamina are also highlighted, indicating a need to sustain physical activity. Critical and analytical thinking, creativity and innovation, and problem solving and decision making form the core of the analytical skill set for this occupation. In addition, computers and information technology skills are essential, reflecting the computerized nature of the tools involved. Together, these skills show that this career combines physical capabilities with quantitative, analytical, and technology-related competencies, building on a foundation that does not typically require education beyond high school.
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