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Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 51-9162.00
Approved apprenticeship titles
4 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for CNC Operator and Programmer (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| CNC Operator and Programmer | 1100 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 8,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 4,000 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| CNC SET-UP PROG - MILLING | 1099 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| CNC SET-UP PROG - TURNING | 1095 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| TOOL PROGRAMMER, NUMERICAL | 0690 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 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 programmers earn, by state
Connecticut has the highest state median for computer numerically controlled tool programmers ($86,390) and Mississippi the lowest ($50,190), across the 43 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | $86,390 | $41.53 | 500 |
| California | $82,090 | $39.47 | 2,990 |
| Massachusetts | $81,670 | $39.27 | 680 |
| Washington | $81,420 | $39.14 | 660 |
| Missouri | $78,130 | $37.56 | 430 |
| Vermont | $77,980 | $37.49 | 140 |
| Kansas | $76,080 | $36.58 | 680 |
| North Dakota | $75,990 | $36.53 | 40 |
| Oregon | $75,150 | $36.13 | 500 |
| Arizona | $74,450 | $35.79 | 470 |
| Virginia | $74,390 | $35.76 | 330 |
| Minnesota | $74,190 | $35.67 | 1,250 |
| Maine | $72,920 | $35.06 | 50 |
| New Hampshire | $71,680 | $34.46 | 290 |
| Montana | $70,860 | $34.07 | 60 |
| New Jersey | $70,460 | $33.88 | 520 |
| Tennessee | $69,700 | $33.51 | 330 |
| Colorado | $69,570 | $33.45 | 410 |
| Texas | $69,550 | $33.44 | 1,930 |
| South Carolina | $69,470 | $33.40 | 340 |
| Illinois | $68,830 | $33.09 | 1,070 |
| New York | $68,730 | $33.04 | 1,140 |
| Wisconsin | $67,460 | $32.43 | 1,610 |
| South Dakota | $66,650 | $32.04 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | $66,330 | $31.89 | 1,080 |
| Maryland | $65,670 | $31.57 | 200 |
| Utah | $65,610 | $31.55 | 150 |
| Oklahoma | $65,590 | $31.54 | 330 |
| Kentucky | $64,980 | $31.24 | 230 |
| Michigan | $64,640 | $31.08 | 2,300 |
| Alabama | $64,590 | $31.05 | 420 |
| North Carolina | $63,990 | $30.77 | 760 |
| Florida | $63,970 | $30.76 | 770 |
| Idaho | $63,560 | $30.56 | 120 |
| Indiana | $63,200 | $30.38 | 1,490 |
| Nebraska | $63,190 | $30.38 | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $62,640 | $30.11 | 70 |
| Georgia | $61,360 | $29.50 | 420 |
| Ohio | $60,080 | $28.89 | 2,370 |
| Iowa | $57,780 | $27.78 | 640 |
| Nevada | $57,210 | $27.50 | 130 |
| Arkansas | $56,390 | $27.11 | 210 |
| Mississippi | $50,190 | $24.13 | 140 |
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).