Career profile · 51-9162
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers
Develop programs to control machining or processing of materials by automatic machine tools, equipment, or systems. May also set up, operate, or maintain equipment.
What the work can involve
- Determine the sequence of machine operations, and select the proper cutting tools needed to machine workpieces into the desired shapes.
- Analyze job orders, drawings, blueprints, specifications, printed circuit board pattern films, and design data to calculate dimensions, tool selection, machine speeds, and feed rates.
- Observe machines on trial runs or conduct computer simulations to ensure that programs and machinery will function properly and produce items that meet specifications.
- Write programs in the language of a machine's controller and store programs on media, such as punch tapes, magnetic tapes, or disks.
- Determine reference points, machine cutting paths, or hole locations, and compute angular and linear dimensions, radii, and curvatures.
- Enter computer commands to store or retrieve parts patterns, graphic displays, or programs that transfer data to other media.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Monitoring
- Mathematics
- Active Listening
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Production and Processing
- Engineering and Technology
- Mathematics
- Design
- Computers and Electronics
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Working with Computers
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems
- Getting Information
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
- Controlling Machines and Processes
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Contact with others most of the time | 31.9%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Once a week or more but not every day | 32.5%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 79.1%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 31.7%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Spend Time Sitting | About half the time | 36.5%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Spend Time Standing | About half the time | 36.5%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 60.1%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 41.0%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 88.0%08/2025 · sample 24 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 88.8%08/2025 · sample 24 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Analytical or scientific software: Simulation software
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD, Dassault Systemes CATIA, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, PTC Creo Parametric
- Computer aided manufacturing CAM software: 1CadCam Unigraphics, 3D Systems GibbsCAM, Autodesk Fusion 360, Autodesk PartMaker
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise application integration software: Extensible markup language XML
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Aptean Made2Manage, SAP software
- Object or component oriented development software: G-code, M-code
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Project management software: Siemens Teamcenter
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Video conferencing software: FaceTime
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for computer numerically controlled tool programmers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 43 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $64,590 | $31.05 | 420 |
| Arizona | $74,450 | $35.79 | 470 |
| Arkansas | $56,390 | $27.11 | 210 |
| California | $82,090 | $39.47 | 2,990 |
| Colorado | $69,570 | $33.45 | 410 |
| Connecticut | $86,390 | $41.53 | 500 |
| Florida | $63,970 | $30.76 | 770 |
| Georgia | $61,360 | $29.50 | 420 |
| Idaho | $63,560 | $30.56 | 120 |
| Illinois | $68,830 | $33.09 | 1,070 |
| Indiana | $63,200 | $30.38 | 1,490 |
| Iowa | $57,780 | $27.78 | 640 |
| Kansas | $76,080 | $36.58 | 680 |
| Kentucky | $64,980 | $31.24 | 230 |
| Maine | $72,920 | $35.06 | 50 |
| Maryland | $65,670 | $31.57 | 200 |
| Massachusetts | $81,670 | $39.27 | 680 |
| Michigan | $64,640 | $31.08 | 2,300 |
| Minnesota | $74,190 | $35.67 | 1,250 |
| Mississippi | $50,190 | $24.13 | 140 |
| Missouri | $78,130 | $37.56 | 430 |
| Montana | $70,860 | $34.07 | 60 |
| Nebraska | $63,190 | $30.38 | 70 |
| Nevada | $57,210 | $27.50 | 130 |
| New Hampshire | $71,680 | $34.46 | 290 |
| New Jersey | $70,460 | $33.88 | 520 |
| New York | $68,730 | $33.04 | 1,140 |
| North Carolina | $63,990 | $30.77 | 760 |
| North Dakota | $75,990 | $36.53 | 40 |
| Ohio | $60,080 | $28.89 | 2,370 |
| Oklahoma | $65,590 | $31.54 | 330 |
| Oregon | $75,150 | $36.13 | 500 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,330 | $31.89 | 1,080 |
| Rhode Island | $62,640 | $30.11 | 70 |
| South Carolina | $69,470 | $33.40 | 340 |
| South Dakota | $66,650 | $32.04 | 80 |
| Tennessee | $69,700 | $33.51 | 330 |
| Texas | $69,550 | $33.44 | 1,930 |
| Utah | $65,610 | $31.55 | 150 |
| Vermont | $77,980 | $37.49 | 140 |
| Virginia | $74,390 | $35.76 | 330 |
| Washington | $81,420 | $39.14 | 660 |
| Wisconsin | $67,460 | $32.43 | 1,610 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 178 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 51-9162.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.