Side-by-side distribution
CNC Operator
$37.75/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 44.6%
- Live roles
- 168
Manufacturing Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 54.8%
- Live roles
- 1,009
Highest-paying jobs
CNC Machinist
CNC Machinist/Programmer
CNC Machinist
Senior CNC Programmer & Machinist, 5-Axis
Lead CNC Machinist (PM Shift)
CNC Mill-Turn Machinist
Senior Composite CNC Programmer/Machinist
Senior CNC Programmer
CNC Programmer (Mill, Lathe & Swiss)
Senior CNC Programmer
Highest-paying jobs
Research Engineer, Production Model Post-Training
Risk and Pnl Production Support Engineer
Production Support Engineer - Trading Systems
Product Engineer - Manufacturing Operations
Manufacturing Engineer - Data Center Hardware
Manufacturing Quality Engineer, Data Center Power & Cooling
Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Arc Vehicle)
Senior Manufacturing Engineer (Reentry)
Product Manufacturing Engineer - PCBA
Manufacturing Quality Engineer – Datacenter Infrastructure
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
SpaceX
|
$52,000 | 15 |
Thorlabs
|
$67,080 | 8 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$88,400 | 4 |
Qualdoc
|
$48,880 | 4 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$123,001 | 3 |
|
Rennscot MFG
|
$84,240 | 3 |
Shively Diversified Management Services
|
$65,520 | 3 |
| VT Voyager Technologies, Inc. | $55,120 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 136 |
Relativity Space
|
$136,000 | 27 |
|
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$152,000 | 23 |
|
SpaceX
|
$115,000 | 23 |
Crusoe
|
$187,500 | 15 |
Fluidstack
|
$250,250 | 12 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$160,000 | 12 |
|
Vast
|
$165,000 | 11 |
CNC Operator salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $84,240 | 4 |
Manufacturing Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $226,000 | 31 |
| Seattle | $226,000 | 19 |
| Austin | $226,000 | 17 |
| San Francisco | $196,050 | 40 |
| Los Angeles | $152,500 | 41 |
| Boston | $150,000 | 7 |
| Chicago | $135,750 | 6 |
| Atlanta | $130,000 | 7 |
| Denver | $97,500 | 4 |
CNC Operator vs Manufacturing Engineer: which pays more?
The median for CNC Operator is $37.75/hr per year (typically $25.00/hr–$45.13/hr), versus $150,000 for Manufacturing Engineer ($125,375–$173,500). That puts Manufacturing Engineer about 91% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so CNC Operator and Manufacturing Engineer are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.