Best degree programs for Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers, ranked by enrollment
1 college programs and 166 schools train Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $68,120 median wage, 28,500 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
1 college programs at 166 schools train computer numerically controlled tool programmers, graduating 2,248 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) Machinist Technology/CNC Machinist. The job pays a median of $68,120 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About 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.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
1 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 48.0510 | 2,248 | 100.0% | 166 | $36,566 | $9,429 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What computer numerically controlled tool programmers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $63,990 | 760 | 0.84× | 25 | 348 |
| Illinois | $68,830 | 1,070 | 0.96× | 9 | 310 |
| Wisconsin | $67,460 | 1,610 | 2.99× | 7 | 197 |
| Minnesota | $74,190 | 1,250 | 2.31× | 10 | 175 |
| Georgia | $61,360 | 420 | 0.47× | 15 | 153 |
| Connecticutlimited | $86,390 | 500 | 1.60× | 2 | 143 |
| Texas | $69,550 | 1,930 | 0.75× | 6 | 126 |
| Oklahoma | $65,590 | 330 | 1.05× | 11 | 108 |
| Iowa | $57,780 | 640 | 2.24× | 6 | 92 |
| New York | $68,730 | 1,140 | 0.64× | 5 | 63 |
| South Carolina | $69,470 | 340 | 0.80× | 5 | 61 |
| Colorado | $69,570 | 410 | 0.78× | 5 | 47 |
| Arkansasmoderate | $56,390 | 210 | 0.88× | 4 | 46 |
| Ohio | $60,080 | 2,370 | 2.33× | 6 | 43 |
| Indianalimited | $63,200 | 1,490 | 2.54× | 2 | 37 |
| Michigan | $64,640 | 2,300 | 2.85× | 7 | 37 |
| Florida | $63,970 | 770 | 0.42× | 6 | 34 |
| New Jerseylimited | $70,460 | 520 | 0.66× | 1 | 32 |
| Alabamalimited | $64,590 | 420 | 1.08× | 1 | 22 |
| Montanamoderate | $70,860 | 60 | 0.61× | 3 | 21 |
| Arizonalimited | $74,450 | 470 | 0.80× | 2 | 19 |
| Oregonlimited | $75,150 | 500 | 1.38× | 2 | 19 |
| Washingtonmoderate | $81,420 | 660 | 1.01× | 4 | 17 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $62,640 | 70 | 0.75× | 1 | 14 |
| Nevadamoderate | $57,210 | 130 | 0.46× | 3 | 13 |
| Utahlimited | $65,610 | 150 | 0.48× | 2 | 13 |
| Idaholimited | $63,560 | 120 | 0.79× | 2 | 11 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $71,680 | 290 | 2.29× | 2 | 7 |
| Pennsylvanialimited | $66,330 | 1,080 | 0.97× | 2 | 7 |
| Tennesseelimited | $69,700 | 330 | 0.54× | 2 | 7 |
| Massachusettslimited | $81,670 | 680 | 1.02× | 2 | 4 |
| Nebraskalimited | $63,190 | 70 | 0.37× | 1 | 4 |
| Mainelimited | $72,920 | 50 | 0.42× | 2 | 3 |
| Marylandlimited | $65,670 | 200 | 0.39× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Revise programs or tapes to eliminate errors, and retest programs to check that problems have been solved.
- Modify existing programs to enhance efficiency.
Skills
- Monitoring3.5
- Mathematics3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Active Listening3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Writing2.9
- Active Learning2.9
Knowledge areas
- Production and Processing4.3
- Engineering and Technology4.1
- Mathematics4.0
- Design3.9
- Computers and Electronics3.8
- English Language3.6
Abilities
- Near Vision4.0
- Problem Sensitivity3.9
- Information Ordering3.9
- Perceptual Speed3.8
- Mathematical Reasoning3.5
- Category Flexibility3.1
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.8
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.2
- Getting Information4.0
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.0
- Controlling Machines and Processes4.0
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
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.
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
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
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 2,248 degrees 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 2,248 people a year.
How much do computer numerically controlled tool programmers earn?+
The median is $68,120 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $47,530 at the 10th percentile to $100,320 at the 90th. 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?+
166 institutions 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.
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 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected 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 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, 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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