Salary guide, May 2025
CMM Programmer pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $48,230 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $41,620 and $60,340.
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN median is $340 below the national median of $48,570, both from BLS May 2025.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
CMM Programmer is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
What should you know about chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $36,370 | $41,620 | $48,230 | $60,340 | $77,320 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.49 | $20.01 | $23.19 | $29.01 | $37.18 |
BLS estimated 23,080 workers employed in this occupation in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Location quotient: 1.33.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $35,510 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 | $77,860 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $17.07 | $19.18 | $23.35 | $29.54 | $37.44 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published CMM Programmer median is $48,230. The all-occupations median in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $54,720. Ratio: 0.88 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 1.33 measures how concentrated this occupation's employment is here against the nation. It is not a wage index.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $39,130 | $47,330 | $59,010 |
| May 2025 | $41,620 | $48,230 | $60,340 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Kankakee, IL | $48,880 | $43,370 to $60,830 |
| Niles, MI | $43,870 | $37,440 to $51,040 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro, the broader SOC 51-9061 category reports a median wage of $48,230. For CMM Programmer in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $48,230; the May 2024 median is $47,330. Their arithmetic difference is $900. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
S. national median of $48,570. The middle-band width of 18720 is derived from the P25 of $41,620 and the P75 of $60,340. These data points reflect the wide variety of inspector and sampler duties within the region and do not separate the compensation for those specialized in PC-DMIS or metrology programming software programming against CAD data.
When examining neighboring metros, Kankakee, IL reports a median of $48,880, which is higher than the Chicago median. The Niles, MI area reports a lower median of $43,870. The location quotient for Chicago stands at 1.33, signifying a high density of these roles relative to the national average. While this concentration indicates a significant local presence of the broader occupational group, it does not confirm the availability of technicians skilled in complex fixturing or ASME Y14.5 GD&T standards.
National industry data illustrates the wage scale in distinct manufacturing sectors. Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing has a national median of $74,450, while Motor Vehicle Manufacturing is $73,310. Ship and Boat Building registers a national median of $64,560. These national industry rows illustrate potential wage levels for duties related to CMM programming but exclude the specific operational overheads of individual plants. Because the BLS combines multiple roles into a single SOC code, one must exercise caution when using this data to establish salary for precise job requirements, as seniority, shift, and specific software proficiency are not captured in the published figures.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How does the Chicago median compare with national industry averages?
The general local median of $48,230 is lower than the national medians for sectors like aerospace, automotive, or shipbuilding. These industry-specific figures generally reflect higher pay for more specialized manufacturing environments.
What is the limitation of using the 51-9061 SOC code for Chicago salary planning?
This code pools many different inspection and sorting roles, failing to isolate specific CMM programming expertise. It does not account for differences in software proficiency, shift requirements, or technical seniority.
What is the significance of the 1.33 location quotient?
This indicates that the broader occupation is more concentrated in the Chicago area than in the U.S. as a whole. It relates to the density of the total labor pool in this category rather than the availability of specific programmers.
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