FlightWay / Careers / Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers

Technology

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers

Develop programs to control machining or processing of materials by automatic machine tools, equipment, or systems.

Sector: Technology
Preparation: Zone 2 — some preparation needed
O*NET code: 51-9162.00

What you'll actually do

The activities O*NET rates highest for this occupation, most important first. Numbers are out of 100.

Working with Computers

central to the job — rated 95/100 for importance.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems

a major part of the work — rated 81/100 for importance.
Getting Information

a major part of the work — rated 76/100 for importance.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

a major part of the work — rated 75/100 for importance.
Controlling Machines and Processes

a major part of the work — rated 75/100 for importance.
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings

a major part of the work — rated 72/100 for importance.

Develop programs to control machining or processing of materials by automatic machine tools, equipment, or systems. May also set up, operate, or maintain equipment.

What it takes

Two numbers per line: the level the work expects, and how important it is to doing the job well. Both are O*NET ratings, already on a 0–100 scale.

Skills

Programming

Needed at a solid working level (52/100), and rated 69/100 for importance.
Monitoring

Needed at a solid working level (50/100), and rated 63/100 for importance.
Operations Monitoring

Needed at a solid working level (57/100), and rated 53/100 for importance.
Mathematics

Needed at a solid working level (48/100), and rated 53/100 for importance.
Complex Problem Solving

Needed at a basic working level (45/100), and rated 53/100 for importance.

Knowledge

Production and Processing

Needed at a high level (70/100), and rated 81/100 for importance.
Engineering and Technology

Needed at a high level (64/100), and rated 77/100 for importance.
Mathematics

Needed at a high level (66/100), and rated 74/100 for importance.
Design

Needed at a high level (63/100), and rated 73/100 for importance.

Abilities

Near Vision

Needed at a solid working level (57/100), and rated 75/100 for importance.
Information Ordering

Needed at a solid working level (55/100), and rated 72/100 for importance.
Problem Sensitivity

Needed at a basic working level (45/100), and rated 72/100 for importance.
Perceptual Speed

Needed at a basic working level (43/100), and rated 69/100 for importance.

How people get in

O*NET places this occupation in Zone 2 — some preparation needed. That is a statement about what employers typically require, not a rule about you.

Education

A high-school diploma is the usual starting point.

Experience

Some prior work experience helps but is rarely required.

Training

Expect a few months to a year of on-the-job training.

What it pays

These are typical technology compensation bands by employer tier — sector-level figures, not a measured salary for Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers specifically. Treat them as the shape of the market, then check a real posting for the number.

Google · Meta · Apple

$165k – $350k+

Fortune 500 Tech

$100k – $170k

Startups & SMBs

$75k – $120k

How the work tends to run

Each line below is read off a single O*NET activity rating for this occupation — named, so you can disagree with it.

Most of the day happens at a screen.From “Working with Computers”
You own decisions rather than execute someone else’s.From “Making Decisions and Solving Problems”
You run equipment, and running it well is a skill in itself.From “Controlling Machines and Processes”

How FlightWay scores your fit against this

No black box. Here is the whole method, factor by factor.

1. You answer a short quiz: Your answers build a profile across the same 161 O*NET dimensions this page is describing — skills, knowledge, abilities and work activities. Same axes, so the comparison is like-for-like.
2. We correlate the two profiles: Fit is a mean-centered cosine — a correlation between the SHAPE of your profile and the shape of Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers. Centering matters: raw similarity between any two occupations sits at 0.70–0.85 because all work shares a common profile, so without it every career would look like a match.
3. The number you see is personality fit only: "Would I want this work" and "am I ready for this work" are different questions, and averaging them answers neither. So readiness — what your résumé, coursework and projects prove — is scored separately and shown next to fit, never blended into it.
4. Every factor is visible: You can open any match and see which dimensions pushed it up and which pulled it down. If you disagree with the number, you can see exactly where it came from.

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Occupational data on this page comes from the O*NET 30.3 Database, published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). O*NET is a registered trademark of USDOL/ETA. FlightWay is not endorsed by, and USDOL/ETA is not responsible for, anything built on that data — see our terms. What is ours is the comparison, the score and the plan.