Home / Apprenticeships / Occupations / Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 51-9161.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
3 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for Aircraft Metals Tech (Machinist/CNC/Welder) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Metals Tech (Machinist/CNC/Welder) | 1068 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| Numerical Control Machnist Oper | 0845 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 4,000 hours |
| STENCIL CUTTER | 0463 | Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What computer numerically controlled tool operators earn, by state
Washington has the highest state median for computer numerically controlled tool operators ($107,920) and Mississippi the lowest ($39,520), across the 48 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $107,920 | $51.88 | 2,270 |
| Massachusetts | $61,630 | $29.63 | 2,500 |
| North Dakota | $60,250 | $28.97 | 250 |
| Connecticut | $59,840 | $28.77 | 2,740 |
| New Hampshire | $59,730 | $28.72 | 1,770 |
| Maine | $59,660 | $28.69 | 440 |
| Vermont | $57,500 | $27.64 | 1,190 |
| Rhode Island | $57,390 | $27.59 | 540 |
| Minnesota | $56,780 | $27.30 | 4,290 |
| Oregon | $56,670 | $27.24 | 2,920 |
| California | $56,510 | $27.17 | 21,680 |
| Colorado | $55,270 | $26.57 | 1,580 |
| Pennsylvania | $54,590 | $26.25 | 7,840 |
| Wyoming | $54,170 | $26.04 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $54,100 | $26.01 | 1,770 |
| Idaho | $53,340 | $25.64 | 480 |
| New York | $53,340 | $25.64 | 5,530 |
| Wisconsin | $52,690 | $25.33 | 8,330 |
| Alabama | $52,380 | $25.19 | 3,120 |
| Iowa | $52,300 | $25.15 | 4,750 |
| Montana | $51,880 | $24.94 | 240 |
| South Carolina | $51,800 | $24.91 | 2,460 |
| Missouri | $51,000 | $24.52 | 1,500 |
| South Dakota | $50,750 | $24.40 | 1,420 |
| North Carolina | $50,440 | $24.25 | 3,680 |
| Arkansas | $50,280 | $24.17 | 2,180 |
| Delaware | $50,010 | $24.04 | 170 |
| Tennessee | $49,980 | $24.03 | 1,980 |
| Louisiana | $49,800 | $23.94 | 670 |
| West Virginia | $49,630 | $23.86 | 160 |
| Virginia | $49,590 | $23.84 | 1,890 |
| Nebraska | $49,360 | $23.73 | 830 |
| Kentucky | $49,180 | $23.64 | 1,740 |
| Ohio | $49,160 | $23.63 | 21,250 |
| Arizona | $48,950 | $23.53 | 1,800 |
| Indiana | $48,590 | $23.36 | 9,690 |
| Texas | $48,480 | $23.31 | 13,190 |
| Illinois | $48,420 | $23.28 | 8,170 |
| Kansas | $48,400 | $23.27 | 2,540 |
| Oklahoma | $47,760 | $22.96 | 1,490 |
| Georgia | $47,630 | $22.90 | 2,200 |
| Michigan | $47,250 | $22.72 | 7,330 |
| Maryland | $46,870 | $22.54 | 1,800 |
| Nevada | $46,670 | $22.44 | 400 |
| Florida | $46,170 | $22.20 | 4,040 |
| Utah | $45,140 | $21.70 | 1,170 |
| New Mexico | $44,970 | $21.62 | 70 |
| Mississippi | $39,520 | $19.00 | 1,290 |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).