Side-by-side distribution
CNC Operator
$31.00/hr
per hour · USD
- Disclosing
- 41.3%
- Live roles
- 670
Process Engineer
$118,775
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 29.2%
- Live roles
- 2,573
Highest-paying jobs
Sr. Principal CNC Programmer
CNC Machinist (1st Shift)
CNC Programmer
CNC Machinist/Programmer
Lead Design CNC Programmer/Operator
CNC Programmer/ Manufacturing Engineer- Machining
CNC Machinist (Multiple Shifts)
CNC Mill-Turn Machinist
Lead CNC Machinist (PM Shift)
CNC Programmer
Highest-paying jobs
Forward Deployed Process Engineer Lead - R37
Director, Process Engineer – Dry Etch
Forward Deployed Process Engineer Lead - R37
Process Design Engineer - IT
Finance Transformation Process Engineer
MEMs Microfabrication Process Engineer (Metrology, Test, BEOL, or Bond)
Sr. Staff Engineer - Process & Equipment Design
Director, Process Engineer
Intel Foundry Process Development Engineer - Lithography
Senior Process Engineer (Power Generation / Gas-to-Power)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Regal Rexnord
|
$61,360 | 14 |
SpaceX
|
$52,000 | 13 |
Caterpillar
|
$66,498 | 9 |
| GV GE Vernova | $85,635 | 8 |
Graco
|
$67,912 | 8 |
Mitsubishi Chemical Group
|
$67,600 | 8 |
Jabil
|
$66,508 | 8 |
| WO Woodward | $52,182 | 8 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Applied Materials
|
$147,500 | 90 |
Samsung
|
$107,500 | 35 |
|
Northrop Grumman
|
$111,800 | 26 |
|
Intel
|
$167,330 | 13 |
Anduril Industries
|
$155,750 | 12 |
Abbott
|
$117,000 | 11 |
Blue Origin
|
$119,041 | 10 |
| GV GE Vernova | $114,100 | 10 |
CNC Operator salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $98,186 | 4 |
| Los Angeles | $84,240 | 4 |
| New York | $63,800 | 6 |
Process Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $170,000 | 5 |
| Los Angeles | $128,750 | 10 |
| New York | $124,675 | 20 |
| Seattle | $119,041 | 15 |
| Boston | $115,000 | 5 |
| Denver | $112,011 | 3 |
| Austin | $110,500 | 21 |
CNC Operator vs Process Engineer: which pays more?
The median for CNC Operator is $31.00/hr per year (typically $25.00/hr–$36.69/hr), versus $118,775 for Process Engineer ($96,150–$143,973). That puts Process Engineer about 84% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so CNC Operator and Process 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.