Salary guide, May 2025
Senior CMM Programmer pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-9061 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers
Senior 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.
| 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 |
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
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.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $46,820 | $36,760 to $59,760 | 6,830 | 0.63 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $47,180 | $38,420 to $57,620 | 3,760 | 0.68 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $45,630 | $37,230 to $59,060 | 2,790 | 0.51 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $49,460 | $44,150 to $59,610 | 1,420 | 0.5 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,160 | $41,120 to $62,720 | 16,370 | 0.45 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $46,210 | $38,390 to $59,280 | 16,440 | 1.06 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $48,230 | $41,620 to $60,340 | 23,080 | 1.33 |
Rank every metro for Senior CMM Programmer
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing$74,450
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing$73,310
- Ship and Boat Building$64,560
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$64,420
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing$64,420
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$61,330
- Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing$61,140
- Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing$60,820
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing$60,620
- Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing$59,260
- Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing$59,190
- Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing$58,360
- Communications Equipment Manufacturing$57,780
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)$57,110
- Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing$56,280
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 382,920 | $43,050 | $49,270 | $61,460 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 63,910 | $47,390 | $60,620 | $77,420 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 47,990 | $44,350 | $49,410 | $60,470 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 46,600 | $38,690 | $46,100 | $51,520 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 35,730 | $38,770 | $45,820 | $50,530 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 32,800 | $44,970 | $50,120 | $61,740 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 32,480 | $45,540 | $55,250 | $65,450 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 29,910 | $38,680 | $45,630 | $49,600 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 28,190 | $46,460 | $54,760 | $62,540 |
| 336400 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 26,120 | $60,260 | $74,450 | $93,290 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 21,920 | $40,470 | $47,070 | $55,850 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 19,460 | $40,490 | $48,480 | $60,400 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 18,660 | $46,570 | $53,970 | $62,430 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 17,830 | $43,660 | $48,640 | $59,190 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 17,440 | $46,950 | $59,260 | $72,860 |
| 311600 | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 17,210 | $37,210 | $41,070 | $47,570 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 17,190 | $42,910 | $48,570 | $59,840 |
| 335000 | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 14,050 | $45,350 | $49,940 | $60,720 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 13,840 | $44,600 | $49,520 | $61,220 |
| 332700 | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 13,800 | $45,100 | $50,680 | $61,110 |
| 331000 | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 13,430 | $46,550 | $54,510 | $62,530 |
| 334500 | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 10,570 | $48,480 | $58,360 | $66,930 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,330 | $46,260 | $51,620 | $60,320 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,330 | $46,260 | $51,620 | $60,320 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 10,030 | $47,390 | $57,110 | $66,250 |
| 3250A1 | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 9,420 | $41,910 | $51,060 | $63,770 |
| 332710 | Machine Shops | 9,230 | $46,800 | $54,690 | $62,500 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 9,100 | $40,640 | $47,770 | $56,580 |
| 336100 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 7,030 | $63,060 | $73,310 | $78,410 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 6,680 | $40,340 | $47,420 | $59,740 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 6,330 | $38,690 | $45,960 | $50,760 |
| 335900 | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 6,240 | $45,110 | $49,640 | $60,390 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 6,120 | $39,420 | $47,830 | $55,730 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 6,050 | $38,590 | $44,870 | $49,030 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 5,830 | $39,070 | $47,600 | $59,530 |
| 335300 | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 5,710 | $46,700 | $52,060 | $61,370 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 5,620 | $43,680 | $49,100 | $61,330 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 5,620 | $37,110 | $44,670 | $52,200 |
| 331500 | Foundries | 5,560 | $46,450 | $50,350 | $60,320 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 5,520 | $39,140 | $45,750 | $55,830 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 4,940 | $36,950 | $41,160 | $47,650 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 4,850 | $37,030 | $41,720 | $48,530 |
| 311500 | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 4,590 | $47,310 | $52,070 | $58,980 |
| 332720 | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 4,570 | $38,790 | $46,970 | $58,040 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 4,440 | $37,100 | $41,850 | $47,960 |
| 311800 | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 4,190 | $39,580 | $46,260 | $50,560 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 4,100 | $47,500 | $53,620 | $61,460 |
| 333500 | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 4,060 | $43,070 | $49,330 | $60,400 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 4,020 | $35,630 | $38,610 | $45,130 |
| 336200 | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 4,020 | $42,850 | $47,900 | $58,330 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 3,690 | $47,540 | $53,390 | $61,090 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 3,580 | $40,540 | $47,550 | $53,490 |
| 333600 | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 3,330 | $49,230 | $61,140 | $75,860 |
| 336600 | Ship and Boat Building | 2,980 | $55,840 | $64,560 | $82,130 |
| 324000 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 324100 | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 2,570 | $49,860 | $64,420 | $96,120 |
| 334100 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 2,390 | $29,520 | $45,200 | $55,760 |
| 331400 | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 2,290 | $47,040 | $56,280 | $64,870 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 2,280 | $36,220 | $39,000 | $46,360 |
| 311100 | Animal Food Manufacturing | 2,240 | $43,670 | $48,100 | $60,070 |
| 333300 | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 2,140 | $46,890 | $53,440 | $62,140 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 2,130 | $30,310 | $36,080 | $39,180 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 2,110 | $35,350 | $41,500 | $46,520 |
| 334200 | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 2,070 | $46,690 | $57,780 | $72,540 |
| 331200 | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 2,020 | $46,910 | $54,140 | $60,450 |
| 331100 | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 2,010 | $48,830 | $59,190 | $66,890 |
| 335200 | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,640 | $44,310 | $47,980 | $56,980 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 1,600 | $37,110 | $37,110 | $40,350 |
| 331300 | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 1,550 | $46,170 | $55,320 | $62,270 |
| 311200 | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 1,530 | $46,910 | $51,860 | $61,310 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 1,340 | $30,960 | $36,390 | $43,690 |
| 321200 | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 1,300 | $39,010 | $47,270 | $55,900 |
| 321100 | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 1,240 | $39,200 | $49,840 | $59,130 |
| 311300 | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 1,160 | $41,660 | $50,000 | $61,700 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 1,160 | $54,900 | $61,330 | $69,540 |
| 314100 | Textile Furnishings Mills | 1,070 | $38,210 | $43,240 | $46,230 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 1,040 | $31,200 | $37,560 | $47,060 |
| 336900 | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 940 | $46,140 | $51,740 | $64,420 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 920 | $35,470 | $38,710 | $46,030 |
| 336500 | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 880 | $48,170 | $60,820 | $70,560 |
| 313100 | Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills | 830 | $34,640 | $37,420 | $40,560 |
| 311700 | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 540 | $34,430 | $44,840 | $48,760 |
| 337900 | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 510 | $32,210 | $37,860 | $46,060 |
| 335100 | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 450 | $39,730 | $48,770 | $59,700 |
| 316000 | Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 430 | $28,710 | $36,580 | $44,810 |
| 312200 | Tobacco Manufacturing | 410 | $43,410 | $55,770 | $76,160 |
| 315100 | Apparel Knitting Mills | 410 | $28,140 | $35,500 | $36,830 |
| 334300 | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 400 | $43,660 | $47,170 | $59,730 |
| 315900 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 380 | $33,400 | $36,280 | $36,820 |
| 316200 | Footwear Manufacturing | 210 | $28,370 | $30,870 | $42,360 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 180 | $40,230 | $47,790 | $47,930 |
| 316100 | Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing | 120 | $39,160 | $45,450 | $54,850 |
| 316900 | Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing | 100 | $29,040 | $34,550 | $40,460 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Senior CMM Programmer, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $38,740 | $47,460 | $59,970 |
| May 2025 | $39,890 | $48,570 | $61,440 |
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.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about the decision behind the experience?
The useful evidence is a datum and fixturing choice defended against the drawing requirement, not a list of equipment or projects. Discuss what information was available during a datum and fixturing choice defended against the drawing requirement. A clear explanation exposes advanced measurement judgment rather than ownership of the entire quality function much better than asking whether the candidate has held the title before.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Senior CMM Programmer?
The median annual wage for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers in the United States was $48,570 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $39,890 and $61,440. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $35,510. 90% earned less than $77,860.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Senior CMM Programmer at a plant?
Senior 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. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 597,370 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Senior CMM Programmer role maps to the Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers category. National employment for this occupation is 597370. The national median pay is $48570, with a medianChange of 1110 from the previous year's $47460. The middleBandWidth is 21550, with a P25 of $39890 and a P75 of $61440.
Manufacturing Headhunters advises that these figures exclude non-monetary benefits and are broad in nature because the BLS does not differentiate CMM programming from general inspection tasks.
National industry benchmarks include $74450 in Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing, $73310 in Motor Vehicle Manufacturing, and $64560 in Ship and Boat Building. These national figures are specific to the sectors indicated. Regional comparisons show the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro at a median of $48230 with a location quotient of 1.33, while the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro sits at $51560 with a location quotient of 0.94. The location quotient serves as an employment measure, not a wage index.
CMM programming involves technical judgment and fixturing expertise. Because the SOC 51-9061 code covers such a wide range of roles, the median of $48570 is merely an aggregate. The P90 of $77860 demonstrates that specialized technical roles within this occupation are valued significantly higher than the general inspector. The middleBandWidth of 21550 highlights the pay gaps that exist based on programming proficiency. Hiring managers must account for these realities by aligning their CMM-specific job requirements with the upper percentiles of the provided data, rather than the occupation-wide median.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
Why is the Senior CMM Programmer median not specifically broken out by BLS?
The BLS classification system aggregates many distinct technical roles into the broad Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers category. This is why CMM programming is included in the national inspector data.
Are the national industry medians useful for setting pay for CMM programmers?
They serve as national sector-wide references. While higher than the occupation median, they are not specific to the programming role.
How should the location quotient of 1.33 in Chicago be interpreted for programming roles?
It merely indicates that Chicago has a high concentration of inspection jobs. It does not provide information regarding pay or the availability of high-level CMM programmers.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4