A machinist works the control panel of a CNC machine

CNC machinist training by state

671 CNC machinist programs in 44 states and 1 territory, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

376 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Compare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

Machinists set up and run equipment, including computer-controlled (CNC) machines, to make precision metal parts and tools. Community colleges and technical schools offer certificates and two-year degrees that teach reading engineering drawings and programming CNC machines.¹

Compare CNC machinist training by state: cost, pay and results

CNC machinist training by state
State	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
Alabama	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Arizona	5	$2,749 to $4,305	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Arkansas	6	$4,058 to $5,430	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
California	33	$1,288 to $4,755	about $44,200	61%	93%
Colorado	5	$5,394 to $9,412	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Connecticut	15	$3,692 to $7,950	about $42,600	83%	80%
Florida	9	$2,500 to $5,000	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Georgia	10	$5,440 to $6,875	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Idaho	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Illinois	40	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Indiana	47	$3,890 to $7,272	about $42,100	81%	76%
Iowa	10	$3,715 to $12,726	about $45,100	85%	54%
Kansas	10	$2,198 to $5,669	Not reported	Not reported	57%
Kentucky	5	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Louisiana	8	$2,765 to $5,446	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Maine	8	$291 to $2,546	about $31,500	80%	79%
Maryland	5	$7,499 to $8,000	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Massachusetts	7	$3,525 to $7,012	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Michigan	25	$3,480 to $10,530	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Minnesota	35	$3,410 to $10,407	about $44,900	86%	62%
Mississippi	12	$5,750 to $9,138	about $39,300	82%	100%
Missouri	21	$1,940 to $12,668	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Montana	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Nebraska	7	$1,716 to $6,321	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Nevada	8	$2,068 to $4,746	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Hampshire	5	$3,550 to $8,622	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Jersey	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New York	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
North Carolina	14	$583 to $5,447	about $42,000	76%	53%
North Dakota	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Ohio	46	$2,000 to $6,398	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Oklahoma	9	$2,339 to $2,880	about $35,700	Not reported	81%
Oregon	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Pennsylvania	30	$3,394 to $13,371	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Puerto Rico	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Rhode Island	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
South Carolina	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
South Dakota	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Tennessee	25	$5,344 to $5,517	about $36,600	83%	82%
Texas	72	$1,995 to $6,620	about $42,100	75%	47%
Utah	9	$2,143 to $4,937	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Virginia	34	$450 to $4,105	Not reported	Not reported	100%
Washington	47	$1,888 to $6,858	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Wisconsin	31	$2,280 to $6,994	about $43,800	77%	73%
Wyoming	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer CNC machinist training too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Is there free CNC machinist training in the US?

WIOA funding can pay for CNC machinist training in the US

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³Your state or local area may limit how much WIOA pays and for how long. If a program costs more, a Pell Grant, a scholarship or severance pay can cover the rest.⁴

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁵

Or pay for CNC machinist training yourself

Without funding, prices differ by state: most CNC machinist programs cost $291 to $2,546 in Maine and $3,715 to $12,726 in Iowa. Each state's page lists every program with its price.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Where the machinist program numbers by state come from

Which machinist programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁵ Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".

Sources for the facts about CNC machinist training

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