CNC machinist training in Alabama

2 CNC machinist programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these machinist programs, and Alabama has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself 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 In Alabama, every program asks for a diploma or other schooling first, and both are taught partly or fully online.

See the 2 programs

How much does CNC machinist training cost in Alabama?

$3,024 to $11,972

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program: 49% to 53%
Working 6 months later: Not reported
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported
Length: Not reported

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Alabama may also offer CNC machinist training. How these figures are made

Is there free CNC machinist training in Alabama?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $3,024 to $11,972.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: paid apprenticeships, financial aid and the GI Bill

All 2 CNC machinist programs in Alabama approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Machinist (associate degree)HybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Precision Machining Degree
Gadsden State Community College
Gadsden
High school diploma or equivalent
Gadsden State Community College, Gadsden · Machinist (associate degree) · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$11,972
Program website, Precision Machining Degree at Gadsden State Community College
More details about Precision Machining Degree at Gadsden State Community College
Finished
49%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
$3,494
Students counted
111
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$11,972
Machinist certificate or diplomaHybridHigh school diploma or equivalent
Mechatronics - CNC Short-Term Certificate
Enterprise State Community College
Enterprise
High school diploma or equivalent
Enterprise State Community College, Enterprise · Machinist certificate or diploma · Hybrid · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$3,024
Program website, Mechatronics - CNC Short-Term Certificate at Enterprise State Community College
More details about Mechatronics - CNC Short-Term Certificate at Enterprise State Community College
Finished
53%
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
23
a year, estimated
Not reported
price
$3,024

How to pay for CNC machinist training in Alabama

WIOA funding can pay for CNC machinist training in Alabama

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

Paid machinist apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a job: you're paid to learn, with a raise as your skills grow, and most include classroom teaching. You apply to the employer or the program sponsor. Ask what you'll pay for the classroom part and what you'll earn on the job.⁶

Financial aid and grants for CNC machinist training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for CNC machinist training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

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

Machinist apprenticeships in Alabama

A machinist apprenticeship is usually run by an employer. It combines paid training on the job with related classes and lasts several years.¹

You apply to the employer or the program sponsor, not through a school.⁶ The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder lists openings by place and job. None of the CNC machinist programs on this page is an apprenticeship.

What is an apprenticeship, and can WIOA pay for one?

Where the Alabama machinist program numbers come from

Which Alabama machinist programs are on this list?

These are the machinist programs Alabama approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Alabama offers.

How the prices and results of Alabama machinist programs are measured

The price is tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported it. "Trained with WIOA funding" on a program counts the people whose training there WIOA paid toward through a training account in program year 2024; the file never gives counts under 3, so a program without the line may still take WIOA students. It does not say how much of the price WIOA covered. Results describe students who left the program in recent years, and the yearly earnings figure is the reported quarter times four, an estimate. They describe past students, so they are no guarantee. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported". Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

How reliable are the Alabama figures?

The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Alabama among the states with "known data quality concerns".¹¹ We leave out the share working 6 months later for Alabama: its rates sit far below every other state's.

Other training in Alabama

Sources for the facts about CNC machinist training in Alabama

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