Georgia·Production Occupations·SOC 51-9162

Best Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmer programs in Georgia, ranked by enrollment

Develop programs to control machining or processing of materials by automatic machine tools, equipment, or systems.

15 schools in Georgia run programs that feed this job, graduating 153 people a year. The job pays a median of $61,360 in Georgia across about 420 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledProgrammerCNC Operator (Computer Numerical Control Operator)CNC Machinist (Computer Numerical Control Machinist)CNC Programmer (Computer Numerical Control Programmer)Application EngineerNumerical Tool ProgrammerProcess Control ProgrammerMetal Numerical Tool Programmer
Graduates / yr
153
in Georgia
Median pay · Georgia
$61,360
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
420
people employed
Schools
15
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
45%
across those schools
Median net price
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Georgia that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

1 programs in Georgia that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Georgia (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Georgia page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 48.0510In Georgia
153
100.0%
15$36,566$9,429

Top 15 schools in Georgia

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 7 of the 15 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Chattahoochee Technical College
Marietta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
28Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist38%
2West Georgia Technical College
Waco, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
26Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist35%
3Georgia Northwestern Technical College
Rome, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
21Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$38,00243%
4Savannah Technical College
Savannah, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
16Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$41,60442%
5Lanier Technical College
Gainesville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
15Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$28,89034%
6Wiregrass Georgia Technical College
Valdosta, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
9Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist50%
7Central Georgia Technical College
Warner Robins, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
8Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$29,10747%
8North Georgia Technical College
Clarkesville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
7Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$45,47239%
9Southern Crescent Technical College
Griffin, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
7Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist58%
10Athens Technical College
Athens, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
4Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist51%
11South Georgia Technical College
Americus, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
4Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist61%
12Coastal Pines Technical College
Waycross, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
3Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$43,04048%
13Columbus Technical College
Columbus, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
2Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist27%
14Oconee Fall Line Technical College
Sandersville, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
2Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist$38,67365%
15Southeastern Technical College
Vidalia, GA Public · 1 feeder programs
1Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist38%

All 15 schools in Georgia

Every school in Georgia with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Georgia that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Chattahoochee Technical CollegeMariettaPublic281
West Georgia Technical CollegeWacoPublic261
Georgia Northwestern Technical CollegeRomePublic211
Savannah Technical CollegeSavannahPublic161
Lanier Technical CollegeGainesvillePublic151
Wiregrass Georgia Technical CollegeValdostaPublic91
Central Georgia Technical CollegeWarner RobinsPublic81
North Georgia Technical CollegeClarkesvillePublic71
Southern Crescent Technical CollegeGriffinPublic71
Athens Technical CollegeAthensPublic41
South Georgia Technical CollegeAmericusPublic41
Coastal Pines Technical CollegeWaycrossPublic31
Columbus Technical CollegeColumbusPublic21
Oconee Fall Line Technical CollegeSandersvillePublic21
Southeastern Technical CollegeVidaliaPublic11

What computer numerically controlled tool programmers earn in Georgia

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Georgia
$61,360
Mean annual
$65,270
Jobs in state
420
What the range looks like
10th pct$43,690Median$61,36090th pct$91,190
Versus the national median
-9.9%

U.S. median $68,120. Georgia pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.47×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Georgia

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$61,450median
240 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+12.8%
Much faster than average
Openings per year
3,100
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
3,600
28,300 → 31,900
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Plus moderate-term on-the-job training

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers page.

How to become a Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmer

Job zone 2 of 5 · SVP Below 6.0
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Top skills

MonitoringMathematicsReading ComprehensionActive ListeningCritical ThinkingSpeaking

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Georgia

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 1 majors mapped to Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 48.0510Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist

Common questions

Answers for people weighing computer numerically controlled tool programmers programs in Georgia.

What degree do you need to become a Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmer?+

Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist, which awarded 153 degrees in Georgia in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmer?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Precision Metal Working. Together they graduate about 153 people a year in Georgia.

How much do computer numerically controlled tool programmers earn in Georgia?+

The median is $61,360 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 9.9% below the U.S. median of $68,120. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for computer numerically controlled tool programmers growing?+

BLS projects a +12.8% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 3,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Georgia?+

15 institutions in Georgia reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do computer numerically controlled tool programmers work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Programmer, CNC Operator (Computer Numerical Control Operator), CNC Machinist (Computer Numerical Control Machinist), CNC Programmer (Computer Numerical Control Programmer) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 51-9162.

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers in other statesNorth CarolinaIllinoisWisconsinMinnesotaConnecticutTexasOklahomaIowa

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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