CNC Machinist
Skilled Trades
Program and run machines that cut parts to exact specs.
Why it matters here: Precision manufacturers supply federal labs and defense work.
Labor Market — DMV Region
Sourced from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS releases (DMV metro and nationwide) plus MD, VA, and D.C. workforce agencies.
Local cost of living is why DMV pay often differs from the national median.
- DMV & state figures: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — OEWS wage & employment estimates and Employment Projections, with OEWS area pay relatives for the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria metro, Maryland, D.C., and Northern Virginia · View source
- Occupation profiles & skills: O*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor) · onetonline.org
All salary figures are published estimates for groups of workers, not offers or guarantees for any individual role.
Education & Career Pathways
Multiple ways to get here — pick the one that fits your life.
Career Progression
How you can grow — with expected salary at each step.
- Entry-level CNC MachinistLearning the role, supervised work, building core skills.$45,780
- CNC Machinist (experienced)Independent work, mentoring newer team members.$55,420
- Senior / Lead CNC MachinistOwning projects, specialization, higher responsibility.$68,670
- Manager or specialist trackSupervising a team or moving into a high-demand specialty.$82,404
Skills Required
What you'll actually do — and how you'll be judged.
Machine shop floor, shift work, precision-focused
Where you work
A climate-controlled machine shop with CNC mills and lathes, coolant smell, and a quality inspection bench.
Hours and schedule
Shop shifts including second and third shift; machines run longer than one shift.
Pace and pressure
Setup-then-run rhythm — intense during setup and first article, monitored during production.
Who you work with
Machinists run several machines with a programmer and quality inspector nearby.
Physical demands
Standing, lifting fixtures and stock, repeated loading; hearing protection required.
What people wear
Shop clothes with no loose sleeves, safety glasses, steel toes.
Remote reality
None; programming can occasionally be done off site.
Workplace culture: what's normal here
- Tolerances are measured, not eyeballed — first-article inspection is sacred.
- Scrapping a part is reported immediately so the root cause gets found.
- Machine care, tooling and offsets are handed over cleanly at shift change.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook — Work Environment, with regional detail for the DMV.
Official data behind this career
Federal statistics for DMV Region, translated into plain language.
Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV metro area
Source: U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates (tables DP03, DP02, DP05)
- The DMV functions as one labor market: workers routinely cross state lines to get to work.
- The largest employment destinations are D.C., Fairfax County and Montgomery County.
Top places these workers go to work
Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA regional GDP and personal income, most recent published year
Private-sector payroll data from ADP. It is a supplemental near-real-time indicator and does not replace BLS government employment statistics.
Source: ADP National Employment Report — Most recent monthly ADP National Employment Report
- 1U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH, OEWS, Employment Projections, CES) — Primary source for occupation wages, outlook, projected openings, education and training.
- 2U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey — Primary source for income, educational attainment, labor force and demographic context by place.
- 3Census LEHD (LODES / OnTheMap) — Primary source for where workers live versus where they work, and local workforce flows.
- 4U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Primary source for regional GDP, industry contribution, compensation and personal income.
- 5ADP National Employment Report — Supplemental near-real-time private-sector employment and pay indicator. Not a replacement for BLS.
Figures describe groups of workers, not any one person. Where an official figure is not published for a category, this page says “Data unavailable for this category.” rather than estimating.
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