Side-by-side distribution
CNC Operator
$78,520
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.8%
- Live roles
- 154
Manufacturing Engineer
$150,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 53.4%
- Live roles
- 892
Highest-paying jobs
CNC Operator
CNC Lathe Setup/Operator
CNC Programmer & Machinist (3- Axis & 5-Axis Okuma)
Senior CNC Programmer & Machinist, 5-Axis
CNC Machinist
Senior CNC Machinist
Senior Composite CNC Programmer
CNC Programmer (Mill, Lathe & Swiss)
CNC Programmer (Starship Components) - Level 4/5 (2nd Shift)
CNC Machine Programmer
Highest-paying jobs
Research Engineer, Production Model Post-Training
Software Engineer, Production Engineering
Manufacturing Test Engineer, AI Compute Infrastructure - Stargate
Principal Production Engineer
Software Engineer, Production Engineering
Staff Site Reliability Engineer, Production Engineering
Manufacturing Electrical Test Engineer
Production Engineer, Compute (GPU)
Production Engineer, IaaS
Manufacturing Software Test Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
SpaceX
|
$78,520 | 10 |
|
Mach Industries
|
$85,280 | 3 |
|
Rennscot MFG
|
$84,240 | 3 |
Thorlabs
|
$67,600 | 3 |
| LP Lionshead Precision Metals | $48,880 | 3 |
|
Inversion
|
$108,160 | 2 |
|
General Matter
|
$93,600 | 2 |
Freeform
|
$70,200 | 2 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$170,000 | 131 |
Relativity Space
|
$152,000 | 27 |
Archer
|
$171,100 | 15 |
Hadrian Automation
|
$165,000 | 12 |
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$133,750 | 10 |
mthree Recruiting Portal
|
$54,000 | 9 |
|
SpaceX
|
$108,750 | 8 |
Databricks
|
$216,104 | 7 |
CNC Operator salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $83,200 | 5 |
Manufacturing Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $237,500 | 7 |
| Austin | $211,000 | 6 |
| San Francisco | $190,500 | 22 |
| Chicago | $181,250 | 8 |
| New York | $171,500 | 17 |
| Boston | $158,500 | 8 |
| Atlanta | $146,500 | 7 |
| Los Angeles | $146,250 | 36 |
CNC Operator vs Manufacturing Engineer: which pays more?
The median for CNC Operator is $78,520 per year (typically $61,360–$102,440), versus $150,000 for Manufacturing Engineer ($125,875–$170,000). 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.