Salary guide, May 2025
CNC Setup Machinist pay in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
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 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ was $58,900 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $47,020 and $64,850.
The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ median is $8,210 above the national median of $50,690, both from BLS May 2025.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-9161 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
The CNC Setup Machinist title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
What should you know about new York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $37,560 | $47,020 | $58,900 | $64,850 | $74,980 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.06 | $22.61 | $28.32 | $31.18 | $36.05 |
BLS estimated 2,770 workers employed in this occupation in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. Location quotient: 0.27.
What should you know about united States?
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $38,140 | $44,930 | $50,690 | $61,760 | $73,890 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.34 | $21.60 | $24.37 | $29.69 | $35.53 |
What should you know about role pay against all occupations here?
The published CNC Setup Machinist median is $58,900. The all-occupations median in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ is $61,430. Ratio: 0.96 (role median divided by all-occupations median, same units, BLS May 2025). Location quotient 0.27 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 | $48,180 | $58,070 | $64,600 |
| May 2025 | $47,020 | $58,900 | $64,850 |
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 51-9161 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators, New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ. 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 51-9161 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
What should you know about nearby areas?
| Area | Median | 25th to 75th |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $60,600 | $51,420 to $67,850 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $53,680 | $44,990 to $65,110 |
What does this data mean for your opening?
In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro, the CNC Setup Machinist role corresponds to the SOC 51-9161 Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators occupation. For CNC Setup Machinist in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $58,900; the May 2024 median is $58,070. Their arithmetic difference is $830.
They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The middle-band width for this position is $17,830, spanning from the P25 of $47,020 to the P75 of $64,850. Manufacturing Headhunters points out that these statistics represent a broad collection of tool operators and do not reflect specific plant-level setup differences or control system specializations.
The national median for this occupation is $50,690, which is lower than the New York metro's median of $58,900. Nearby metros report varying figures: Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury has a median of $60,600, while Trenton-Princeton reports $53,680. With a location quotient of 0.27, the concentration of these operators in the New York area is below the national average. For CNC Setup Machinist in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded.
Industry-specific benchmarks highlight higher potential earnings in select manufacturing sectors. For example, the Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing industry reports a national median of $66,970, and Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing reports $63,750. Chemical Manufacturing also shows a median of $63,170. These figures reflect specialized manufacturing environments rather than the aggregate occupational average. CNC setup machinist candidates are typically assessed on their capability for G-code editing, fixture alignment, and first-piece approval on client-specific controls.
For CNC Setup Machinist in New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $58,900; the May 2024 median is $58,070. Their arithmetic difference is $830. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The P10 of $37,560 and P90 of $74,980 mark the current earnings boundaries for the occupation in this region. Because the mapping is broader than the specific setup machinist title, these figures should be used as a general indicator of local market pay rather than a definitive salary guide. Hiring managers should weigh these statistics against individual setup proficiency levels when presenting competitive offers.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Is the CNC setup machinist median in the New York-Newark-Jersey City area higher than the national median?
Yes, the New York metro median of $58,900 is higher than the national median of $50,690. This reflects the specific wage environment for tool operators in this region.
What does the middle-band width of $17,830 imply?
This width represents the pay spread between the 25th percentile of $47,020 and the 75th percentile of $64,850. It provides a standard range for the majority of tool operators in the metro.
Why is the SOC mapping for the CNC Setup Machinist role considered broad?
The mapping to SOC 51-9161 is broad because it covers all computer numerically controlled tool operators. It does not differentiate for setup-specific roles like G-code editing, which requires further skill-based screening.
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