Numerically controlled machine tool programmer

Read drawings and specifications → set operations and tools and datum → calculate tool paths and dimensions and parameters → write or modify the program → simulation and single block validation → trial cut the first article and compare with specifications and archive records

Program writing and simulation validation: write programs in the controller language, validate in trial runs or simulation, modify programs for errors and re-test, optimize existing programs, enter coordinates and compare instructions with drawings

Set operations and tools → generate tool paths and code → simulate to check collision and overcut → single block dry run → trial cut and measure the first article → correct deviations and keep version records

Data and media and documentation and maintenance: store and retrieve and transfer part graphics and programs, write instruction sheets and tool lists, align template film and observe magnified views, and perform preventive maintenance or minor repairs on machine tools.

Program development and process validation are the focus of this occupation, and fixturing / operation / maintenance are allowed. CNC operators may also modify / write simple programs; adjacent software / hardware / electromechanical / robotics / drafting duties may overlap, and the specific final responsibility is checked against the organization. The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred.

Make the machine produce conforming parts according to the program: turn drawings and process requirements into a runnable program, and hold dimensions and surface quality in simulation and trial cutting

Develop and validate numerical control programs: analyze drawings and specifications, determine operations and tools and tool paths and parameters, write and modify programs, simulate and trial cut and identify efficiency improvements

Advance the work based on the O*NET occupational definition and 16 tasks, drawings and process documents and design data, machine and controller and post-processing and tool and fixture and material conditions, and the employer systems for program release and simulation and trial cutting and safety

This occupation emphasizes program development and validation, while CNC operators emphasize operation but may also rewrite simple programs; they are distinguished by actual job duties and are not mutually exclusive.

Editorial cycle example: read the drawing → set operations / tools / datum → program → simulate / trial run per the machine model approved procedure → measure → iterate and archive, without substituting for the safety or release procedure.

Mechanical drafters focus on expressing designs through drawings and technical documentation; this occupation turns drawing requirements into a runnable program and is responsible for tool paths and parameters and validation results

Process and tool and tooling selection records, tool path and program and post-processing version records, simulation and single block validation records, trial cut and first-article measurement and deviation correction records, program release and change and handover records, preventive maintenance records

General software roles have a different object from this occupation, but software can also be used for machining control; whether machine constraints are involved is checked against the real duties.

Editorial principle: dimensions and safety come first, the basis for parameters / validation / versions is retained, and release and on-site validation follow actual authorization. U.S. OSHA1910.212 requires guarding of applicable machine hazard points; 1910.147 applies to servicing and maintenance with unexpected startup or stored energy release risk, with conditional exceptions for normal production and minor tasks. Buttons / control switches are not energy isolation devices. Tasks are carried out by authorized trained personnel according to the actual machine model and organizational procedures; this is not written as a China statutory qualification.

This page presents task and output boundaries and does not constitute a statement of any occupational safety, quality or legal conclusion

The O*NET survey of education requirements for newly hired workers shows 33% high school or equivalent, 31% postsecondary certificate and 20% some college but no degree, which are partial responses. JobZone1—2 / SVP less than 6 is the preparation level, not an education distribution or a fixed training time for each person. The typical entry in the BLS2025—2035 table 1.2 is a postsecondary non-degree certificate / no related work experience required / medium-term on-the-job training, and is not a uniform China threshold. The 1 certification candidate and 7 registered apprenticeship titles are not quotas. Moving from operation / machining toward programming is an editorial preparation suggestion, and no common share or uniform order is claimed.

The precise occupational wage for China was not obtained this round. The 2025 manufacturing urban non-private unit average is 113,594 yuan / year and the private average is 76,055 yuan / year, two industry pre-tax averages to be read separately, not the wage range / median / starting pay / individual offer for numerically controlled machine tool programmers. In GB/T4754-2017, under manufacturing, 33 fabricated metal products / 34 general equipment (PDF37/39 page, printed pages 31 / 33) support a manufacturing background consistent with the establishment's main business, and not all machine tool user establishments are classified under machine tool manufacturing 3421. The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred.

This nine-module review reads U.S. wages 2025, employment 2025—2035, the China manufacturing background and the precise gap separately, and the current source is not claimed to support updates outside the page scope.

Cross-role comparison cannot rely only on similar titles; whether the role carries program development and process validation, whether it carries hardware or system design, whether it carries drawing expression, and the scope of authority all differ, so similar tasks do not mean the roles are interchangeable

Editorial six judgments: whether drawings are read to a calculable level, whether operations / tools / datum have a process basis, whether code / post-processing match, whether validation follows the machine model, whether measurement iterates, and whether versions are traceable. The specific organizational procedures are checked separately.

Judgment one: whether drawings and specifications and design data are read to a calculable level

Turn drawing dimensions and tolerances and surface requirements and material and heat treatment state and work order requirements into calculable inputs (datum and key dimensions and fits and geometric tolerances); confirm ambiguities or missing items with design and process staff before programming; do not substitute unfounded practices such as modifying an old program for verification.

Judgment two: whether operation and tool and datum selection has a process basis

Arrange roughing and finishing sequence and the number of setups according to material and structural stiffness and precision requirements; select tools and tool holders according to structural features and calculate overhang and rigidity; clarify the datum and alignment method and explain the effect on the dimension chain.

Judgment three: whether tool paths and parameters and post-processing match the machine and controller

Check tool paths and code and post-processing against machine travel and spindle and tool magazine and fixtures and controller model; confirm that feed and speed and depth of cut are within the allowable range for the tool and material; confirm coordinate systems and tool tip follow settings for multi-axis and composite operations.

Judgment four: whether simulation and single block validation cover collision and overcut and interference

Editorial suggestion: trained authorized personnel follow validation procedures approved for the machine model / process to check for collision / overcut and so on, recording problems and making revisions; simulation and single block dry running do not guarantee that all risks are ruled out, and the fictional exercise does not start a real machine.

Judgment five: whether the first article is measured and iterated against specifications

After trial cutting, measure key dimensions and geometric characteristics with precision gauges and judge against specifications; analyze the cause of out-of-tolerance (tool offset and tool wear and thermal deformation and fixturing and program errors) before correcting; record the parameters and results before and after correction and give a conclusion on whether release is possible.

Judgment six: whether programs and validation and deviation corrections are versioned and traceable

Keep programs and post-processing and tool tables and parameters and simulation and trial cutting and deviation correction and release records; specify version and modifier and time and reason; let the operators and programmers taking over restore the current machining state from the records.

Numerically controlled machine tool programmers develop programs that control automatic machine tools or machining systems, turning drawings and process requirements into tool paths and numerical control code and validating them through simulation and trial cutting, and may be responsible for fixturing, operating or maintaining equipment. The typical loop is to do process planning and tool selection from work orders and drawings and design data, generate and modify programs and perform simulation and single block validation, trial cut the first article and measure it with precision gauges against specifications, correct parameters and tool paths from deviations and give a release conclusion with version records; program release and post-processing configuration, simulation and trial cutting requirements, and hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) and machine guarding and personal protection requirements before maintenance and troubleshooting must be carried out by roles with the corresponding authority and qualifications according to the applicable jurisdiction and employer systems.

O*NET51-9162.00 (2026 / BrightOutlook): develop programs controlling automatic machine tools / equipment / systems for machining, and may fixture / operate / maintain. Interest C82/R65/I44/E11/A9/S8 is an occupational profile, not a population share. The O*NET survey of education requirements for newly hired workers shows 33% high school or equivalent, 31% postsecondary certificate and 20% some college but no degree, which are partial responses. JobZone1—2 / SVP less than 6 is the preparation level, not an education distribution or a fixed training time for each person. The typical entry in the BLS2025—2035 table 1.2 is a postsecondary non-degree certificate / no related work experience required / medium-term on-the-job training, and is not a uniform China threshold.

U.S. 2025 percentiles 47,530 / 58,270 / 68,120 / 81,890 / 100,320 USD, hourly 22.85 / 28.01 / 32.75 / 39.37 / 48.23. BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation. Wages are on the OEWS wage and salary basis, and percentiles are not starting pay / grades / offers; the current detail page already shows 2025—2035 and no longer claims to display the old period at the same time.

The precise occupational wage for China is still missing. The 2025 manufacturing urban non-private unit average is 113,594 yuan / year and the private average is 76,055 yuan / year, two industry pre-tax averages to be read separately, not the wage range / median / starting pay / individual offer for numerically controlled machine tool programmers. In GB/T4754-2017, under manufacturing, 33 fabricated metal products / 34 general equipment (PDF37/39 page, printed pages 31 / 33) support a manufacturing background consistent with the establishment's main business, and not all machine tool user establishments are classified under machine tool manufacturing 3421. The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred.

The current independent industry page shows manufacturing 87% and other 13% (including wholesale trade), and the 2025 detail page matches with manufacturing 87%; this is an employment share, not wages, specific position counts or hiring opportunities. BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation. The National Bureau of Statistics for 2025, months 1—May, above-scale metal cutting machine tools 33 ten-thousand units / +13.3% is only historical output context, and no positions or wages are inferred from it, nor is it the latest current month.

Technology and work context: the work context for this occupation shows 88% wear common protective or safety equipment every day, 64% consider being very exact or highly accurate extremely important (14% very important, 22% important), 60% continuously or almost continuously use hands to handle objects and tools (33% more than half the time), 56% have face-to-face discussions every day (42% once a week or more), 51% have a lot of freedom in determining tasks and priorities and goals (24% some freedom), 50% consider their decisions very important to company results (22% important), 47% consider repetitive tasks extremely important (15% very important, 26% important), 47% are exposed to distracting or uncomfortable noise every day, 41% make decisions affecting the organization every day (45% once a week or more), 41% face strict deadlines every day (38% once a week or more), 40% have a lot of decision freedom (34% some freedom), 39% are exposed to hazardous equipment every day (35% never), 30% consider working with a work group or team extremely important (25% very important), 78% work 40 hours per week (22% more than 40 hours), and 89% work a regular fixed schedule (11% irregular).

Protection and precision | 88% wear common protective or safety equipment every day (12% once a week or more); 64% consider being very exact or highly accurate extremely important (14% very important, 22% important); 13% consider the consequences of work errors very serious (12% serious). Posture and movement | 60% continuously or almost continuously use hands to handle objects and tools (33% more than half the time); 47% make repetitive motions more than half the time (44% less than half the time); 12% stand continuously or almost continuously (24% more than half the time, 36% about half the time, 27% less than half the time); 44% walk or run less than half the time; 11% continuously or almost continuously bend or twist (47% about half the time). Location and environment | 39% are exposed to hazardous equipment every day (14% once a week or more, 35% never); 47% are exposed to distracting or uncomfortable noise every day (18% once a week or more, 23% once a month or more); 19% come into contact with contaminants every day (32% once a week or more, 13% never); 20% are exposed to hazardous conditions every day (27% once a week or more); 79% never come into contact with disease or infection; 100% never come into contact with radiation; 73% never work outdoors in all-weather conditions. Communication and collaboration | 56% have face-to-face discussions every day (42% once a week or more); 18% are in continuous contact with others (32% most of the time, 25% about half the time); 30% consider working with a work group or team extremely important (25% very important, 34% important); 30% consider coordinating or leading others extremely important (29% important); 25% have telephone conversations every day (48% once a week or more, 25% never); 12% consider dealing with external customers or the public extremely important (28% important, 47% not at all important). Autonomy and decision-making | 51% have a lot of freedom in determining tasks and priorities and goals (24% some freedom); 40% have a lot of decision freedom (34% some freedom, 14% limited); 41% make decisions every day that affect others or financial resources or organizational reputation (45% once a week or more); 50% consider their decisions very important to company results (22% important, 13% moderate). Pace and automation | 41% face strict deadlines every day (38% once a week or more, 20% once a month or more); 47% consider repetitive tasks extremely important (15% very important, 26% important, 11% fairly important); 30% of the work is moderately automated; 14% consider it important that work pace is determined by equipment speed (11% not at all important); 78% work 40 hours per week (22% more than 40 hours); 89% work a regular fixed schedule. Responsibility and others | 24% carry very high responsibility for the work results of other employees (26% high responsibility); 28% carry very high responsibility for the health and safety of others (29% moderate); 17% consider competition extremely intense (24% very intense, 34% moderate). Handover and records | 16% need to write formal letters and memos every day (13% once a week or more); 36% face conflict situations once a week or more (13% once a month or more); 13% need to deal with unpleasant or angry or discourteous people every day. Responsibility and boundaries | program release and post-processing configuration, simulation and trial cutting requirements, and hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) and machine guarding and personal protection requirements before maintenance and troubleshooting must be carried out by roles with the corresponding authority and qualifications according to the applicable jurisdiction and employer systems; program and validation and deviation correction records must be kept on record and be reviewable; the U.S. wages on this page are 2025 wage data and employment and projections use the current BLS table 1.2 2025—2035 scope; Mainland China is two clearly labeled manufacturing annual average wage proxies (113,594 / 76,055 yuan / year), not values for this occupation.

The comparison is based on the occupational definition and 16 tasks and work activities and work context descriptions on the O*NET-SOC 51-9162.00 page, the related and adjacent occupation codes listed there, the adjacent occupation slug list registered in this evidence route (computer-programmers, computer-hardware-engineers, mechatronics-engineers, robotics-engineers, mechanical-drafters), and public occupational materials for each adjacent occupation; this evidence route also registers the scope difference of the adjacent Mainland China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster (6-18-01-07); the comparison is editorial synthesis and does not constitute an occupational safety, quality or legal conclusion.

The table below compares roles and occupations adjacent to this occupation: numerically controlled machine tool operators, computer programmers, computer hardware engineers, mechatronics engineers, robotics engineers, and mechanical drafters. The four columns each answer the same kind of question: what this direction does, where the key difference from this occupation lies, and what kind of person is better suited to choosing it.

Numerically controlled machine tool operators focus on executing machining according to an established program and self-inspecting, and usually do not carry development responsibility for tool paths and parameters and post-processing; this occupation takes program development and process validation as its object.

People willing to do machining execution and first-article self-inspection suit that direction; people willing to do process reasoning and program validation suit this occupation.

Mainly fixturing and first-article and patrol inspection and equipment records.

Numerically controlled machine tool operators

Computer programmers focus on program development and maintenance for general software and systems and usually do not involve machine tool and tool and material constraints; this occupation takes numerical control programs and cutting processes as its object.

People willing to do general software development suit that direction; people willing to do manufacturing processes and CNC programming suit this occupation.

Mainly software and system code and test records.

Computer programmers

Computer hardware engineers focus on hardware design and validation and usually do not carry part machining processes and program development; this occupation takes machining processes and code as its object.

People willing to do hardware design and validation suit that direction; people willing to do manufacturing processes and program development suit this occupation.

Mainly hardware design and validation and test records.

Computer hardware engineers

Mechatronics engineers focus on the system integration and design of mechanical and electrical and control systems and usually do not carry program development for a single machine tool; this occupation takes machine tool programs and process validation as its object.

People willing to do cross-disciplinary system integration and design suit that direction; people willing to do single-machine programs and process optimization suit this occupation.

Mainly system design and integration and commissioning records.

Mechatronics engineers

Robotics engineers focus on robotic system and motion control solution design and usually do not carry cutting processes and numerical control code development; this occupation takes cutting processes and numerical control programs as its object.

People willing to do robotics and motion control solutions suit that direction; people willing to do cutting processes and program validation suit this occupation.

Mainly robotics solutions and simulation and control records.

Robotics engineers

Mechanical drafters focus on the expression and conversion of drawings and technical documentation and usually do not carry process parameters and tool paths and program development; this occupation turns drawings into a runnable machining program.

People willing to do drafting and technical documentation suit that direction; people willing to do process calculation and code generation suit this occupation.

Mainly drawing and technical documentation records.

Mechanical drafters

Moving from this occupation to an adjacent direction usually requires adding new capabilities and experience: the operator direction needs on-site fixturing and first-article self-inspection and equipment maintenance experience; the general software direction needs data structures and engineering development experience; the hardware direction needs circuit and structural and validation experience; the mechatronics direction needs mechanical and electrical and control integration experience; the robotics direction needs kinematics and trajectory and control solution experience; the drafting direction needs drafting standards and documentation expression experience. Drawing reading and tolerances and software and validation capabilities can transfer, but the scope of responsibility and authority of each direction must be re-established.

Students and career changers preparing to enter

First build solid drawing reading and tolerances and cutting processes and numerical control code and CAD and CAM fundamentals, then learn to use generative tools for parameter conversion and code annotation and checklists and documentation drafts; do not send tool-generated tool paths or code directly to the machine, and do not skip simulation and single block validation for the specific machine and controller and post-processing.

Roles that carry process planning and tool selection

Use tools for process route organization and parameter conversion and tool list drafts, but keep the datum and operation order and tool selection and rigidity judgment with yourself and the reviewers, and be responsible for process conclusions.

Roles that carry program writing and simulation validation

Editorial suggestion: trial code annotation / difference comparison and documentation drafts, checking version, machine model and post-processing matching; there is no occupation-level evidence on actual efficiency.

Roles that carry trial cutting and first-article confirmation

Editorial suggestion: trial measurement organization, checking gauges, units, calibration and raw readings; acceptance and release are confirmed by authorized personnel against the criteria, and there is no occupation-level efficiency evidence.

Parameter conversion / annotation / checklists / documentation are candidates requiring testing, and no occupation-level capability / efficiency / actual deployment evidence was obtained. Software lists, job posting hot words and employer usage must not be conflated.

O*NET OnLine 51-9162.00 occupational detail profile

Used to verify the official occupational identity, 16 tasks and work activities and work context

O*NET national wage page (51-9162.00, 2025 wage data)

U.S. 2025 median wage 68,120 USD / year, 32.75 USD / hour; percentiles are national statistics, not starting pay.

ILO working paper 'Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure'

Used to explain the measurement approach for task exposure and its sample and indicator limitations

NIST AI Risk Management Framework 1.0

Used as a governance and record-keeping framework for AI risk, not as evidence of occupational adoption

O*NET technology list (employer job posting technology keyword statistics)

Used to explain the technology keywords and mention shares that appear in employer job postings; does not represent proficiency or usage rates

O*NET OnLine 51-9162.00 occupational summary

Used to verify knowledge, abilities and interest code CRI and the work styles list

O*NET national employment trends page (51-9162.00)

Check the current 2025—2035 total projection in BLS table 1.2

The table below compares three real work directions: what AI and digital tools mainly change, and which responsibilities remain on the human side. The three directions come from the task structure of the occupation (drawing reading and process planning, program writing and simulation validation, data and media and documentation and maintenance).

Organize draft process routes and parameter conversions and tool and tooling lists, and generate process and first-article checklists.

Judge whether the datum and operation order and tool selection and rigidity are feasible, and be responsible for process conclusions and the effect on the dimension chain.

Generate draft code and tool paths and difference comparisons and annotations and documentation.

Judge post-processing fit and collision and overcut and interference, decide whether to use single block and trial cutting, and be responsible for program release.

Summarize measurement data and deviation categories and draft iteration and change records.

Confirm first-article judgment and parameter corrections and version records, and be responsible for whether batch production can begin.

The five evidence cards each explain the source, the object of study, the conclusions and the usage limitations. They answer what evidence exists, not whether this occupation will be replaced.

Covers only the tasks and work context listed on the O*NET page for this occupation; it does not include the mandatory rules of specific jurisdictions and employers on program release and post-processing configuration and simulation and trial cutting and lockout/tagout

O*NET-SOC 51-9162.00 occupational detail profile (page updated in 2026)

The official task list and work activities and work context for this occupation

Of the 16 tasks, in page order the first few are determining the sequence of machining operations and selecting appropriate tools, analyzing work orders and drawings and specifications and design data to calculate dimensions and tool selection and speed and feed, validating programs and machines in trial runs or simulation, writing programs in the controller language and storing them on media, and determining datum points and cutting paths or hole positions and calculating dimensions and radii and curvatures; the importance of the first few is 89 and 87 and 85 and 84 and 83 in order, with 14 Core tasks and 2 supplemental tasks (64 and 57)

2025 OEWS wages are on the wage and salary basis, and 2025—2035 total employment includes self-employment; national statistics are not an individual offer or opportunity.

O*NET national wage and employment trends page (51-9162.00, BLS scope)

National wage distribution and employment and projections and average annual openings for this occupation in the United States

BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation.

It is an exposure measure, not an adoption rate, automation rate or unemployment probability; it does not apply to a single employer or a single position

ILO《Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure》

Cross-economy occupation-level generative AI exposure index

The study provides an exposure ranking and measurement method and cannot be rewritten as a replacement timetable for a particular occupation

It is a governance framework without occupation-level adoption data; citing it does not constitute a quantified conclusion about the risk to this occupation

NIST AI Risk Management Framework 1.0

Risk governance and management processes for AI systems

The NIST AI RMF is a voluntary risk framework that can be referenced editorially for purpose / limitations / monitoring / responsibility; it is not a mandatory occupational procedure or evidence of effect.

Job posting keyword statistics change with technology trends and cannot be treated as skill proficiency or the scale of job demand

O*NET technology list page (job posting technology keywords for this occupation)

Statistics on technology keywords appearing in employer job postings

The current O*NET hot technology page lists 9 items: SolidWorks20%, AutoCAD8%, Office5%, Excel4%, Outlook2%, Word / PowerPoint 1% each, SAP below 1%, XML unavailable. Mentioned in U.S. Lightcast postings for all of 2025; not proficiency / actual adoption rate; the 13 software categories are a separate scope, and the old 8 items and decimal precision were not supported this time. Mastercam / G-code appear in the detail page software list and must not be mixed with the hot technology page shares.

Conversion / annotation / drafts must be tested for units, machine model, material and tool limits and are not called reliable in advance; process, collision, trial cutting and release are verified against measurements and actual authorization.

Insufficient evidence: no samples of actual employer AI deployment, scale or sustained investment for this occupation were obtained. CAD / CAM, networking and simulation do not automatically equal generative AI adoption.

BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation.

AI exposure does not prove job disappearance. Editorial suggestion: generated tool paths / code must be validated by machine model / process / material / tooling and fixtures and post-processing and confirmed by the actually authorized person, and generated output must not be entered directly into a real machine.

O*NET 51-9162.00 tasks and work activities; ILO exposure index

The O*NET survey of education requirements for newly hired workers shows 33% high school or equivalent, 31% postsecondary certificate and 20% some college but no degree, which are partial responses. JobZone1—2 / SVP less than 6 is the preparation level, not an education distribution or a fixed training time for each person. The typical entry in the BLS2025—2035 table 1.2 is a postsecondary non-degree certificate / no related work experience required / medium-term on-the-job training, and is not a uniform China threshold. The current O*NET hot technology page lists 9 items: SolidWorks20%, AutoCAD8%, Office5%, Excel4%, Outlook2%, Word / PowerPoint 1% each, SAP below 1%, XML unavailable. Mentioned in U.S. Lightcast postings for all of 2025; not proficiency / actual adoption rate; the 13 software categories are a separate scope, and the old 8 items and decimal precision were not supported this time. Mastercam / G-code appear in the detail page software list and must not be mixed with the hot technology page shares. The 1 certification candidate does not substitute for machine tool training or operating / release authorization. Demonstrating capability with program and first-article records is an editorial suggestion and is not claimed to be the sole determinant of opportunity.

O*NET 51-9162.00 tasks and work activities; O*NET technology list 51-9162.00

The editorial suggestion can be tested on conversion / annotation / checklists / measurement organization. No data was obtained on the timing of effects across tasks or the actual occupational effect, so no ranking of earlier or later can be given; the research direction is not treated as evidence of actual employer deployment.

Tasks come from O*NET51-9162; the ILO task exposure method; the order of uses is an editorial candidate, not a chronological fact

BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation.

BLS table 1.2 current 2025—2035

No. Program release and post-processing configuration, simulation and trial cutting requirements, and hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) and machine guarding decisions before maintenance and troubleshooting must be made by roles with the corresponding authority and qualifications according to the applicable jurisdiction and employer systems; tools do not carry that responsibility and do not exempt anyone from occupational safety obligations.

Tasks come from O*NET51-9162; the specific employer procedure was not obtained, so no verified system is claimed

Insufficient evidence: no materials that could set a position disappearance year were obtained, and no timetable is given. Check against the target employer's actual deployment and duties, and do not infer replacement from hot words.

Editorial notes for this page

Suggested priority order: first build solid drawing reading and tolerances and cutting processes and numerical control code and CAD and CAM, then learn to use generative tools as assistance; at the same time limit tool use to parameter conversion and annotation and checklists and documentation drafts, and do not use them to replace process judgment, post-processing fit and release decisions.

O*NET technology list 51-9162.00 (technology keywords); NIST AI RMF 1.0

The five steps below are the editorial process given on this page, used to explain who is responsible at which step; they are not a mandatory process prescribed by a source, nor do they replace the employer's own program release and simulation and trial cutting and safety management systems.

Clarify the work order and drawings and material and machine and fixture constraints and your own authority boundary, as well as your decision scope for parameter adjustment and program modification and release recommendations.

In tools that the organization permits and that have been tested, trial conversion / annotation / comparison / checklists and drafts, checking versions and sources; do not send candidate code directly to a real machine.

Reviewed by yourself and the reviewers: whether operations and datum and tool selection are feasible, whether tool paths and parameters and post-processing match the machine and controller, and whether simulation and dry running cover collision and overcut.

Keep programs and post-processing and tool tables and simulation and trial cutting and deviation correction and release records; make version and modifier and time and reason traceable.

Roles with the corresponding authority and qualifications confirm program release and safety and quality conclusions; tools do not carry that responsibility and do not exempt anyone from occupational safety obligations.

Automatically generated tool paths or code may not match the specific machine and controller and post-processing and fixture conditions; running them without simulation and single block validation may cause collision and tool breakage and scrapped workpieces.

Editorial suggestion: validate against the specific machine model manual, the process and the approved program, carried out by trained authorized personnel; simulation / single block dry running does not guarantee that all risks are ruled out, and the fictional exercise does not start a real machine.

Drawings and processes and programs and customer part data are protected information, and uploading them to external services may cause technical information leakage and compliance risk.

Choose usable tools and deployment methods according to information classification and authorization, desensitize identifiable information or use controlled systems, and keep access and export records.

Sending tool-generated programs directly to the machine without review and simulation and trial cutting bypasses the release process and cannot be traced back when the machine crashes.

Editorial suggestion: the specific review / validation / first-article and release conditions are confirmed against the actual machine model and organizational procedures; tools only assist with drafts and comparison and do not presume a uniform operating order.

Using automatically grouped process or tool data to judge feasibility directly may mask deviations caused by material batch and tool wear and machine state differences.

Write the material and tool and machine and fixturing conditions clearly, mark the applicable scope of conclusions and keep the raw data, and have process conclusions confirmed by review.

When the process is split into tools generating code and humans clicking confirm, a gap easily appears where no one is responsible for program release and first-article acceptability.

In the process, specify the executor and reviewer and approver for each step, and make the records able to answer who made this judgment and on what basis.

Confirm that the drawings and specifications and material and machine constraints and authority boundaries are written out.

Analyze work orders and drawings and specifications and design data and determine the operation sequence and tools

Drawing reading and process planning

Process routes and parameter conversion and checklists can be assisted; operation and tool and datum judgments remain the responsibility of people

Confirm that the basis for datum and tool path and hole position calculation is consistent with the drawings.

Determine datum points and cutting paths or hole positions and calculate dimensions and radii and curvatures

Drawing reading and process planning

Geometry and dimension calculation can be assisted; datum and dimension chain judgments remain the responsibility of people

Confirm that the matching conditions for the controller and post-processing and tool table and machine are clear.

Write programs in the controller language and store them on media and transfer data to other media

Program writing and simulation validation

Code and annotation and difference comparison can be assisted; post-processing fit and version management remain the responsibility of people

Confirm that the simulation environment and single block validation and safe trial cutting requirements are clear.

Validate programs in trial runs or simulation and modify for errors and re-test

Program writing and simulation validation

Simulation results and deviation categories can be assisted; collision and overcut judgments and release decisions remain the responsibility of people

Confirm that the first-article measurement items and criteria and iteration and release requirements are written out.

Trial cut and measure the first article and correct programs and parameters from deviations

Program writing and simulation validation

Measurement data aggregation and deviation classification can be assisted; acceptability judgment and release decisions remain the responsibility of people

Confirm that the version and handover requirements for programs and post-processing and tool tables and release records are written out.

Modify existing programs to improve efficiency and enter coordinates and write instruction sheets and tool lists

Data and media and documentation and maintenance

Documentation and checklist organization can be assisted; efficiency improvement and traceability judgments remain the responsibility of people

Confirm that the hazardous energy control and protection requirements before maintenance and troubleshooting are written out.

Preventive maintenance / minor repairs are carried out by authorized trained personnel according to applicable regulations, the machine model and organizational procedures, and the applicable conditions for energy control must be checked without applying the minor task exception on your own initiative.

Data and media and documentation and maintenance

Maintenance record organization can be assisted; execution of safety procedures and equipment state judgments remain the responsibility of people

Editorial suggestion: test the assistance value of tools for organizing code / process / documentation / records, while retaining process, validation, first-article, release and safety responsibility; actual adoption or effects are still missing, and significant change is not presumed.

Manufacturing establishment business classification and adjacent occupations in China

In GB/T4754-2017, under manufacturing, 33 fabricated metal products / 34 general equipment (PDF37/39 page, printed pages 31 / 33) support a manufacturing background consistent with the establishment's main business, and not all machine tool user establishments are classified under machine tool manufacturing 3421. The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred.

Job posting price scope: job platform and employer quotes correspond to a specific position and a specific period and a specific pay structure

The two industry averages are read separately and do not fill in for the occupational median / percentiles / starting pay / monthly salary; job posting quotes are checked separately for position / period / composition.

This time the manufacturing urban unit industry average is used, without mixing in above-scale enterprise job category figures or freelance income.

When comparing different opportunities, confirm employer type and industry and shift form and skill level and piece-rate method first, then discuss income differences; otherwise institutional differences will be misread as position differences.

2025 wages; released 2026-05-15, read this round on 2026-10-09

Different reference periods affect comparability; this page does not splice across periods, nor does it write an industry average for one year as the median for this occupation.

The precise occupational wage gap and the manufacturing industry background are read separately

Not having obtained an occupation-level value does not mean the official body never published one, nor that the position does not exist in Mainland China; this page only states that this round did not obtain a national occupational wage scope corresponding precisely to O*NET-SOC 51-9162.00.

A precise China statistical equivalence has not been established; match the industry background by the establishment's main business

In GB/T4754-2017, under manufacturing, 33 fabricated metal products / 34 general equipment (PDF37/39 page, printed pages 31 / 33) support a manufacturing background consistent with the establishment's main business, and not all machine tool user establishments are classified under machine tool manufacturing 3421. The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred.

Insufficient evidence: there is no China occupation-level evidence of AI adoption or wage causation this round, and income changes are not inferred from tool capability.

Duty and authority boundaries: program release and post-processing configuration, simulation and trial cutting requirements, and hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) and machine guarding requirements before maintenance and troubleshooting must be carried out by roles with the corresponding authority and qualifications according to the applicable jurisdiction and employer systems; this page does not present any training or overseas certification as a China statutory qualification.

Vocational secondary or higher vocational or junior college education in a mechanical or numerical control or mold or electromechanical related major

Machining and programming and process roles at fabricated metal products and general and special purpose equipment manufacturers and in the automotive and electronics and mold industries

Editorial preparation suggestion: check the target major / equipment / training and experience; no China job posting samples were obtained this round, so no verified common thresholds are stated.

Operating records of drawing reading and process and numerical control code and CAD and CAM and simulation and first-article validation

CNC programming and process direction, mold and tooling programming direction

Editorial suggestion: demonstrate process / program / validation records; specific employer recognition is checked separately, and income is not promised from experience.

CNC programming and CAD and CAM related training or vocational skill level certificates

Five-axis and multi-axis programming direction, process and manufacturing engineering direction

Editorial suggestion: the value and recognition of certificates are checked issuer by issuer and employer by employer, and U.S. certification does not imply China necessity.

Program release and post-processing and simulation and trial cutting and lockout/tagout and guarding requirements

Program release and process safety support direction

Editorial synthesis: handling related to program release and safety and protection must be carried out according to applicable regulations and employer systems, and this page does not present any training or overseas certification as a statutory qualification.

Fabricated metal products and general and special purpose equipment manufacturers and mold companies

Editorial synthesis: mainly process planning and program development and first-article validation for many varieties in small batches, usually arranged according to orders and projects and production plans.

Batch manufacturing enterprises such as automotive and electronics and aviation

Editorial synthesis: mainly batch machining cycle time and dimensional stability and program efficiency optimization, which must be delivered according to quality systems.

Various employers with machining and programming departments

Editorial synthesis: mainly supporting the organization's new product trial production and process improvement, which must be carried out according to internal systems and safety and quality processes.

2025 National Bureau of Statistics wages | https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202605/t20260515_1963707.html

China precise occupational wage gap and manufacturing background

Not obtaining a precise China occupational wage does not mean the official body never published one. The 2025 manufacturing urban non-private unit average is 113,594 yuan / year and the private average is 76,055 yuan / year, two industry pre-tax averages to be read separately, not the wage range / median / starting pay / individual offer for numerically controlled machine tool programmers. No occupational monthly salary or city ranking is given.

When comparing different opportunities, confirm employer type and industry and shift form and skill level and piece-rate method, and make clear that this page provides two manufacturing annual average wage proxies, not an occupation-level wage value.

Publication information on the Occupational Classification Code of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition) | https://www.mohrss.gov.cn/

The manufacturing background is listed separately; the precise China distribution gap is retained, and duties / shifts / piece rate / individual offers are checked separately.

Industry average proxy (urban non-private units, manufacturing)

2025 manufacturing urban non-private industry average 113,594 yuan / year, not the occupational median / starting pay / monthly salary.

Manufacturing private unit industry average (2025)

2025 manufacturing urban private industry average 76,055 yuan / year, not the occupational median / starting pay / monthly salary.

Precise wage gap for this occupation

Insufficient evidence: this round did not obtain a precise China occupational wage distribution, median or starting pay; the industry background does not fill in for them.

The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred.

National Bureau of Statistics 2025 wages | https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202605/t20260515_1963707.html; classification | GT4754-2017; the adjacent standard 6-18-01-07 is listed separately

U.S. total employment growth 5.9% (2025—2035), not a China forecast

68,120 USD / year (median; hourly 32.75 USD)

The 25th percentile is the lower quartile of the distribution; this statistic covers paid wage and salary positions, excludes self-employed owners' income, and personal income cannot be derived from it. ; O*NET national wage and employment trends page (51-9162.00) | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-9162.00

68,120 USD / year (median; hourly 32.75 USD)

This value is the national-scope 2025 median wage (sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 wage data); the median describes the midpoint of the distribution of the occupational population and does not equal entry-level pay or starting pay. ; O*NET national wage and employment trends page (51-9162.00) | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-9162.00

81,890 USD / year (75th percentile; hourly 39.37 USD)

The 75th percentile together with the 25th percentile is used to understand the spread of the distribution; it does not represent a definition of senior or supervisory positions, nor the pay structure of a particular employer. ; O*NET national wage and employment trends page (51-9162.00) | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-9162.00

100,320 USD / year (90th percentile; hourly 48.23 USD)

The 90th percentile describes the upper end of the distribution; values across regions and across periods cannot be compared directly, and when querying state and metropolitan area wages the region and period and units must be retained together. ; O*NET national wage and employment trends page (51-9162.00) | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-9162.00

28,600 (2025)

BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation.

Growth 5.9% (2025—2035)

O*NET currently shows Faster than average, and the BLS precise figure is 5.9%; the projection contains assumptions and is not an individual opportunity.

2,700 average annual openings (2025—2035)

The BLS published net change of +1,700 and the 2,700 average annual openings are read separately, and openings include replacement and do not equal net additions.

2025 wages are on the OEWS wage and salary basis excluding self-employment and non-corporate owners; total employment includes self-employment. Percentiles are not starting pay / grades / offers. The current independent industry page shows manufacturing 87% and other 13% (including wholesale trade), and the 2025 detail page matches with manufacturing 87%; this is an employment share, not wages, specific position counts or hiring opportunities.

U.S. 2025 median 68,120 USD / year, 32.75 USD / hour, annual percentiles 47,530 / 58,270 / 68,120 / 81,890 / 100,320. BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation.

The current independent industry page shows manufacturing 87% and other 13% (including wholesale trade), and the 2025 detail page matches with manufacturing 87%; this is an employment share, not wages, specific position counts or hiring opportunities. The target employer's region / shifts / material / process conditions are checked separately, and income is not inferred from the share.

Industry and region and degree of automation

The U.S. context shows 41% facing deadlines every day, 60% continuous hand use, and 47% noise every day, which is not uniform across all positions. Trial production and mass production rhythm are checked for the target position, and significant causation is not inferred from context materials.

Trial production and mass production ramp-up and process change rhythm

The current independent industry page shows manufacturing 87% and other 13% (including wholesale trade), and the 2025 detail page matches with manufacturing 87%; this is an employment share, not wages, specific position counts or hiring opportunities. Manufacturing clusters and opportunity / wage causation were not obtained, so no ranking is given.

Region and manufacturing clusters and supply chain position

Growth 5.9% (2025—2035)

Manufacturing

Manufacturing 87% (employment share on the current industry page)

This row is an employment share rather than industry wages; the O*NET page for this occupation does not provide median wages broken down by industry.

Other industries

Other 13% (including wholesale trade, current industry page)

This row is an employment share rather than industry wages; this part is not broken down further, and this page does not infer its wage level from it.

Industry and degree of automation and skill level

Insufficient evidence: no wage comparison broken down by industry / automation / skill level was obtained

This row explains the structural factors affecting income, not an industry wage value; the O*NET page for this occupation also does not provide median wages broken down by industry or degree of automation.

Industry and regional wage breakdown

Insufficient evidence: the O*NET page for this occupation provides only the industry employment share and does not provide median industry wages

Where industry wage values lack source support, this page does not substitute industry averages or adjacent-occupation data; for comparison, use the OEWS industry and area query entries.

No. The median describes the midpoint of the distribution of the occupational population, and no percentile is entry-level starting pay; entry pay also depends on region and industry and degree of automation and skill level and shift form.

The OEWS2080 standard year conversion is not personal hours; without overtime / shifts / components, personal monthly pay or after-tax income cannot be derived, and the China industry averages likewise cannot be converted for an individual.

This value comes from the 2025 wage data shown on the O*NET page (national scope); percentiles are statistical positions and do not represent an individual's capability level or a particular employer's pay structure.

Industry and region and degree of automation and skill level and shift form all affect actual income; this page does not predict personal income.

68,120 USD / year (median; hourly 32.75 USD)

This row is a position reference at the lower end of the distribution: 10% of wage earners have annual income no higher than 47,530 USD; it describes a statistical position, not entry-level starting pay, and does not correspond to a particular experience level.

68,120 USD / year (median); percentiles are statistical positions, not personal income.

This row is a position reference at the upper end of the distribution: 10% of wage earners have annual income no lower than 100,320 USD; it describes a statistical position and does not represent the highest wage or a particular grade, nor the pay level of a particular employer.

O*NET interest C82/R65/I44/E11/A9/S8 is an occupational profile, not a population distribution; activities are computers 95 / decision-making 81 / information 76 / controlling machines 75 / identifying 75, and are not an individual hiring line. Use approved fictional task exercises to check fit.

Interests and activities are U.S. occupational materials, and the fit interpretation is an editorial suggestion, not a population distribution or hiring prediction.

Take note: the occupational page lists work styles (scored by impact level: attention to detail 92, dependability 84, caution 66, inquisitiveness 63, achievement orientation 59 and so on); from the tasks and work context, if you tend to skip simulation and first-article validation, or do not take program versions and tool table records seriously, this work will cost you in machine crashes and batch out-of-tolerance.

The Big Five is used on this page only to describe working style and not as a hiring basis. More relevant to the tasks of this occupation are version and validation and record habits under the conscientiousness dimension, process improvement and tool learning under the openness dimension, and trial production pressure and repeated iteration under the emotional stability dimension; these traits affect how you advance programming, not whether you can learn CAD and CAM and code.

The Big Five mapping interpretation is an editorial mapping; O*NET style scores do not equal Big Five scale results and are not used for diagnosis or hiring prediction.

Take note: if you skip simulation or single block validation to meet a delivery date, one collision or one batch out-of-tolerance can damage the tool and spindle and scrap the whole batch.

Interest orientation: the interest code on the occupational page is CRI (conventional, realistic, investigative), and daily tasks are mainly drawing reading and process planning, program writing and simulation validation, and data and media and documentation and maintenance.

Type-based tools such as MBTI have no official evidence supporting fit with this occupation. This page does not use the wording which type suits numerically controlled machine tool programmers best: typology describes preferences, does not predict program quality, and does not correspond to position admission.

This site sets no MBTI type threshold, actual employer conditions should be checked against postings, and no assertion is made on behalf of all employers.

The Enneagram is likewise not an occupational assessment tool and has no official occupational evidence. A substitute approach is to verify interest with concrete behavior: can you write an operation and tool and datum plan for a fictional drawing, can you write a simulation and single block validation and first-article judgment plan for a fictional program, and can you write a one-page iteration record including deviation analysis and parameter correction and version records.

Evidence level: editorial note, not a source-supported occupational fact.

Take note: Enneagram interpretation easily slides into personality diagnosis, and this page does not use it to judge fit.

The substantive requirements of this occupation for process and mathematics and engineering knowledge are clear: the O*NET knowledge list is led by production and processing 81, engineering and technology 77, mathematics 74, design 73, computers and electronics 70, English language 66, education and training 59, and mechanical 58; the skills list is led by monitoring 63, mathematics 53, active listening 50, critical thinking 50, reading comprehension 50, speaking 50, active learning 47, and writing 47; the abilities list is led by near vision 75, information ordering and problem sensitivity (both 72), perceptual speed 69, and mathematical reasoning 63.

Knowledge / skills / abilities are occupational importance values and are not an individual minimum; this site sets no IQ threshold, and the actual assessment conditions are checked separately.

Take note: if you rely long-term on personal experience and old programs without building process and tool and version and validation records, you will expose risk at handover and traceability and process reuse; fixing the process and the record-keeping is the sustainable approach.

This occupation requires close interfaces with the shop floor: the work context shown on that page has 56% having face-to-face discussions every day (42% once a week or more), 18% in continuous contact with others (32% most of the time), 30% considering working with a work group or team extremely important (25% very important), 30% considering coordinating or leading others extremely important (29% important), and 25% having telephone conversations every day (48% once a week or more); interface communication with operators and process and quality and tooling and equipment repair staff all depends on expression and records.

Evidence level: O*NET work activities and work context are official occupational data; this page draws no causal conclusion about the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance.

Take note: skipping simulation or keeping no version records to save schedule time leaves the risk for the next programmer and the whole batch of workpieces.

Boundary: all of the above are task and work context descriptions for this occupation and editorial suggestions, and do not constitute a personality diagnosis, a hiring prediction or a judgment of occupational destiny; no assessment score can replace completing a full loop from drawing reading to process to program to simulation to trial cutting and iteration in a real or simulated CAM and machine tool environment.

Editorial fit suggestion: willingness to do geometry / tolerance / process reasoning and validation records; CRI is an interest ranking, not a population share.

Numerically controlled machine tool operators

Suitability signal: willingness to do on-site fixturing and first-article self-inspection and equipment maintenance.

The operator direction emphasizes on-site operation and may also modify and write simple programs; duties are checked against the real position, and programming is not ruled out wholesale.

Computer programmers

Suitability signal: willingness to do program development and maintenance for general software and systems.

General software and machining programs may have different objects, and software can also be used for machining control; machine constraints are not ruled out wholesale.

Computer hardware engineers

Suitability signal: willingness to do hardware design and validation.

The hardware direction focuses on design / validation, and overlapping duties are checked against the organization.

Mechatronics engineers

Suitability signal: willingness to do the system integration and design of mechanical and electrical and control systems.

The mechatronics direction focuses on system integration, and the specific machine tool programming overlap is checked against the position.

Robotics engineers

Suitability signal: willingness to do robotic system and motion control solution design.

The robotics direction focuses on systems / motion control, and the overlap with material processing tasks is checked against the position.

Mechanical drafters

Suitability signal: willingness to do the expression and conversion of drawings and technical documentation.

The drafting direction focuses on drawing expression, and overlapping process or program responsibility is checked against the position.

No. Reducing an occupation to one most suitable personality hides real differences: the duty boundaries of mold trial workshops and high-volume production line programming groups differ greatly. A more useful approach is to verify with a deliverable process and program and validation plan exercise.

People are not excluded by introversion or extroversion. Sitting posture / 40 hours / fixed shifts and no infection contact do not prove introvert fit; practice clear process / validation records and on-site anomaly communication.

Yes. Extroversion itself is neither an advantage nor a disadvantage; what matters is whether you can explain process judgments and validation conclusions clearly and drive release through the process. If you prefer collaboration and exchange, you can focus on trial production interfaces and process reviews and mentoring newcomers.

There is no official evidence supporting that a particular MBTI type suits this occupation better; this page does not provide such a ranking.

CRI is a ranking of C82/R65/I44 interests, not a population distribution, and individual fit is checked with task exercises.

No. The association between personality trait scores and job performance varies in strength across studies and is affected by employer and workshop and shift conditions; this page does not use it as a basis for hiring or fit judgments.

Mathematics knowledge 74 / skills 53 / mathematical reasoning 63 / number facility 50 are occupational importance values, not an individual minimum. You can practice geometry / dimensions / tolerances and parameter calculation, and deeper mathematics is checked against the process; it is not claimed flatly that advanced mathematics is never needed.

PPE every day 88%, exactness extremely important 64%, deadlines every day 41%, hazardous equipment every day 39%; errors 13% Very serious and 12% Serious. Check energy control conditions against the machine model / jurisdiction / procedure, and do not fix every task as a lockout/tagout operation.

Not recommended. The Enneagram is not an occupational assessment tool and has no official occupational fit evidence.

Judge with deliverables: can you write an operation and tool and datum and parameter plan for a fictional drawing; can you write a simulation and single block validation and collision check plan for a fictional program; can you write a one-page iteration record including first-article measurement and deviation analysis and parameter correction and version records. Whichever kind of task you are willing to repeat is the direction more worth trying.

People willing to reason with geometry and tolerances and processes, to write programs and validation clearly, and to insist on validation and version records in the simulation and first-article stages.

People inclined to skip simulation and start the machine, to release after tweaking an old program, or who do not take program versions and tool tables and safety procedures seriously enough.

Use the fictional materials in the entry, qualifications and career development section of the page to complete one process from drawing reading to process to programming to simulation and trial cutting, and then judge whether you are willing to repeat this.

Used to verify the official occupational identity, 16 tasks and work activities

Used to verify knowledge, abilities and interest code CRI and the work styles list

Check the current 2025—2035 total projection and average annual openings in BLS table 1.2

Used to verify the percentage distribution of work context (protection, exposure, posture, autonomy and responsibility)

Used to explain the measurement approach for task exposure and its sample and indicator limitations

The O*NET survey of education requirements for newly hired workers shows 33% high school or equivalent, 31% postsecondary certificate and 20% some college but no degree, which are partial responses. JobZone1—2 / SVP less than 6 is the preparation level, not an education distribution or a fixed training time for each person. The typical entry in the BLS2025—2035 table 1.2 is a postsecondary non-degree certificate / no related work experience required / medium-term on-the-job training, and is not a uniform China threshold. The 1 certification and 7 apprenticeship titles are checked separately and are not actual quotas.

Used to explain the technology keywords and mention shares appearing in job postings for this occupation; does not represent proficiency or programming capability

Used to verify industry distribution and employment structure (structural data, not position counts)

Interest code CRI: conventional (C) first, realistic (R) second, investigative (I) third; together the three describe an orientation toward working to procedures and tolerances and versions, hands-on work with equipment and materials, and process troubleshooting and analysis.

The conventional type focuses on procedures and versions and order, the realistic type on hands-on work and equipment and materials, and the investigative type on process troubleshooting and analysis; this occupation is led by these three interest orientations, with enterprising and artistic and social all very low.

CRI (conventional, realistic, investigative)

CRI

The six risk cards are editorial scenarios / control suggestions derived from the tasks, not incident rates / rankings / a uniform employer system. U.S. protection / energy control provisions are read according to the original conditions, and specific machine models and organizational systems for China are still missing.

The editorial suggestion is to check operations / datum / tools, code / post-processing, validation / first article / versions and safety; there may be out-of-tolerance / damage / personal risk, and no ranking of what is most needed or most common is given.

Tasks come from O*NET51-9162, and 2025 wage and salary data, 2025—2035 total employment and the China industry background are kept separate. U.S. OSHA1910.212 requires guarding of applicable machine hazard points; 1910.147 applies to servicing and maintenance with unexpected startup or stored energy release risk, with conditional exceptions for normal production and minor tasks. Buttons / control switches are not energy isolation devices. Tasks are carried out by authorized trained personnel according to the actual machine model and organizational procedures; this is not written as a China statutory qualification.

Roles that carry process and tool and datum selection

Improper operation sequence or tool selection or datum selection will cause dimensional out-of-tolerance and tool breakage and scrapped workpieces during machining, and affect delivery and cost.

Arrange roughing and finishing and the number of setups according to material and structural stiffness and precision requirements; select tools and tool holders according to structural features and calculate overhang and rigidity; clarify the datum and dimension chain effect and have process or design confirm it.

Reusing an old process without adapting to the material and machine; using tools and parameters beyond the rigidity range; changing the datum with the setup without explanation.

Roles that carry program and post-processing and simulation validation

Tool paths or parameters or post-processing that do not match the machine and controller and fixtures will cause collision and overcut and machine crashes and may damage the spindle and tools and fixtures.

The editorial suggestion is to check post-processing and tooling and fixtures / material against the validation procedure approved by machine model / process, and keep simulation and on-site results; dry running / single block does not guarantee all risks are ruled out, and on-site work is carried out by trained authorized personnel.

Skipping simulation on experience; running post-processing from another machine directly on this machine; changing code on site without reporting or leaving records.

Roles that carry first-article and iteration release

Entering batch production without measuring the first article or analyzing deviations will keep producing out-of-tolerance parts in batch machining, causing rework and scrapping and customer claims.

After trial cutting, measure key dimensions and geometric characteristics with precision gauges and judge against specifications; analyze the cause of out-of-tolerance before correcting parameters and tool paths; record the results before and after correction and give a conclusion on whether release is possible.

Only looking at appearance and not measuring dimensions for the first article; treating in-process compensation as a program correction; approving batch production without confirmation.

Roles that carry version and documentation and handover responsibility

Incomplete program versions and post-processing and tool tables and release records cannot be restored at shift change and accountability and process reuse, and cause repeated incidents.

Keep programs and post-processing and tool tables and simulation and trial cutting and deviation correction and release records; specify version and modifier and time and reason; let the operators and programmers taking over restore the current machining state from the records.

Renaming files casually; several people sharing the same version without leaving modification traces; tool tables inconsistent with programs without synchronized updates.

Roles that carry on-site safety and energy control responsibility

Failing to control hazardous energy according to the procedure (lockout/tagout) before maintenance and troubleshooting and cleaning, or inadequate guarding and personal protection, will cause personal injury and compliance liability.

Applicable U.S. machine hazard points need effective guarding, and maintenance subject to 1910.147 must be isolated and verified according to the procedure, and a stop button is not an isolation device; exceptions are conditional and are not applied on your own initiative. Specific tasks are checked against the machine model / organization and the jurisdiction.

Removing or shorting guards for easier observation; entering equipment interiors while energized or without energy release; clearing chips and changing tools with bare hands.

Roles that carry program and process data confidentiality

Leakage of drawings and processes and programs and customer part data lowers competitive barriers and creates contract and compliance and customer trust risk.

Manage access and export according to information classification and least necessity and keep records; desensitize identifiable information or use controlled systems; define clear data and access boundaries for third-party and external service connections.

Uploading drawings and programs to unauthorized tools or channels; sharing high-privilege accounts; sharing part data externally without desensitization.

Used to verify the official occupational identity, 16 tasks and work activities

Used to verify the percentage distribution of work context (protection, exposure, posture, autonomy and responsibility)

Used to verify knowledge, abilities and interest code CRI and the work styles list

Used to verify industry distribution and employment structure (structural data, not position counts)

Used to explain the measurement approach for task exposure and its indicator limitations

Able, under guidance, to complete drawing reading and process material organization and simple program modification and simulation result checking and records, to follow the version and tool table and first-article submission and safety procedure requirements, and to report and correct promptly when tool path anomalies or collision risks or program version inconsistencies are found.

Able to complete drawing reading and material organization and simple program modification and records under guidance

Able to independently complete the operation and tool and datum planning and program writing and simulation and trial cutting iteration for one class of parts, and to write process and program and post-processing and parameters and validation and deviation correction into reviewable records.

Able to independently complete the process planning and programming and first-article iteration for one class of parts

Able to lead the programming and efficiency optimization of multiple varieties and complex features and mentor newcomers, checking first-pass program rate and first-article pass rate and validation and version quality.

Able to lead multi-variety and complex feature programming and efficiency optimization and mentor newcomers

Able to participate in building process standards and post-processing and tool libraries and programming specifications and safety and quality systems, with the corresponding position authority.

Able to participate in building process and post-processing and programming specifications and safety systems

The O*NET survey of education requirements for newly hired workers shows 33% high school or equivalent, 31% postsecondary certificate and 20% some college but no degree, which are partial responses. JobZone1—2 / SVP less than 6 is the preparation level, not an education distribution or a fixed training time for each person. The typical entry in the BLS2025—2035 table 1.2 is a postsecondary non-degree certificate / no related work experience required / medium-term on-the-job training, and is not a uniform China threshold. The 7 apprenticeship titles are not actual open quotas; the 1 certification candidate is AWS Certified Welding Engineer and must not be written as a general CAM / CNC certification or a position requirement.

Qualification boundary: education, job training, professional certification, licenses and position authority must be checked separately. That page provides 1 national certification entry and 7 registered apprenticeship role examples, but apprenticeship experience and certification do not equal a degree, an employer appointment, program release or machine tool operating authorization; program release and post-processing configuration, simulation and trial cutting requirements, and hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) and machine guarding requirements before maintenance and troubleshooting must be carried out according to the applicable jurisdiction and employer systems; this page does not present education or certification as a statutory qualification.

The United States (O*NET scope) and Mainland China are described side by side; the two have different regulatory systems

The O*NET survey of education requirements for newly hired workers shows 33% high school or equivalent, 31% postsecondary certificate and 20% some college but no degree, which are partial responses. JobZone1—2 / SVP less than 6 is the preparation level, not an education distribution or a fixed training time for each person. The typical entry in the BLS2025—2035 table 1.2 is a postsecondary non-degree certificate / no related work experience required / medium-term on-the-job training, and is not a uniform China threshold. The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred.

Check the 2025 national wages and the 2025—2035 total projection

The O*NET survey of education requirements for newly hired workers shows 33% high school or equivalent, 31% postsecondary certificate and 20% some college but no degree, which are partial responses. JobZone1—2 / SVP less than 6 is the preparation level, not an education distribution or a fixed training time for each person. The typical entry in the BLS2025—2035 table 1.2 is a postsecondary non-degree certificate / no related work experience required / medium-term on-the-job training, and is not a uniform China threshold. The 7 registered apprenticeship titles and the 1 certification candidate are checked separately and are not actual quotas.

Used to verify the official occupational identity, 16 tasks and work activities

Used to verify the national certification information entry and the registered apprenticeship role examples for this occupation

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice mechanical or CNC related major fundamentals and safety training. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Turn drawing reading and process material organization key points into a checklist.

Can present a reviewable process and tool list record.

Under guidance, complete drawing reading and process cards and tool lists and tooling organization assistance.

Do process material organization under guidance

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice tolerances and cutting processes and tools and tooling and rigidity analysis. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Write the process plan and check items into a stable version.

Can present process plans and tool tables and first-article and deviation records.

Independently complete the operation and datum and tool and tooling and parameter plan for one class of parts.

Independently complete process and tool plans

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice experience with several classes of parts and process optimization. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Organize process optimization experience into a reusable approach.

Can present efficiency and quality before and after optimization and validation records.

Lead process optimization and tooling improvement for multiple varieties and complex features and mentor newcomers.

Lead complex feature process optimization

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice in-employer duties and long-term experience. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Distill standards key points into transferable text.

Can present standards documents and tool libraries and inspection and training records.

Participate in building process standards and tool libraries and tooling and parameter standards.

Participate in building process standards and tool libraries

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice numerical control code fundamentals and safety training. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Turn program modification and submission key points into a checklist.

Can present program versions and simulation and submission records.

Under guidance, complete simple program modification and simulation result checking and first-article submission assistance.

Do program modification and simulation checking under guidance

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice numerical control code and post-processing and simulation and first-article analysis. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Write the programming and validation process into a stable version.

Can present program and post-processing and simulation and trial cutting and deviation correction records.

Independently complete program writing and post-processing fit and simulation and single block dry running and trial cutting iteration for one class of parts.

Independently complete programming and simulation and trial cutting iteration

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice multi-axis experience and post-processing development. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Organize post-processing and optimization experience into a reusable approach.

Can present post-processing and optimization and first-pass rate and mentoring records.

Lead post-processing development and multi-axis and turn-mill composite programming and efficiency optimization and mentor newcomers.

Lead post-processing development and efficiency optimization

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice in-employer duties and long-term experience. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Organize specification key points into transferable institutional text.

Can present specification documents and inspection and training records.

Participate in building programming specifications and post-processing and tool libraries and release and version management systems.

Participate in building programming specifications and release systems

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice gauge fundamentals and quality awareness. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Turn measurement and recording key points into a checklist.

Can present first-article and sampling and identification and deviation records.

Under guidance, complete first-article measurement and sampling data organization and nonconforming product identification assistance.

Do first-article and sampling data organization under guidance

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice tolerances and process capability and data analysis and process improvement. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Write the deviation analysis and improvement path into a stable version.

Can present deviation analysis improvement and validation and effect records.

Independently complete deviation analysis and parameter and tool path improvement and preliminary process capability judgment and validation.

Independently complete deviation analysis and parameter improvement

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice quality tools and project management and process experience. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Organize improvement project experience into a reusable approach.

Can present project and improvement effect and validation and mentoring records.

Lead process improvement and quality improvement and cost optimization projects and mentor newcomers.

Lead process improvement and quality improvement projects

Editorial capability preparation suggestion: you can practice in-employer duties and long-term experience. Actual experience / hiring / authorization conditions are checked separately against the target position.

Organize institutional key points into transferable text.

Can present specification documents and audit and training records.

Participate in building process and quality and inspection specifications and nonconforming product and record management systems.

Participate in building quality and process systems

Education / experience / certification, program release and equipment authorization, safety / energy control and data permissions are checked separately and cannot substitute for one another; whether each condition applies must be checked against the actual machine model / task / organization and jurisdiction, and no uniform entry or promotion guarantee is given.

The O*NET survey of education requirements for newly hired workers shows 33% high school or equivalent, 31% postsecondary certificate and 20% some college but no degree, which are partial responses. JobZone1—2 / SVP less than 6 is the preparation level, not an education distribution or a fixed training time for each person. The typical entry in the BLS2025—2035 table 1.2 is a postsecondary non-degree certificate / no related work experience required / medium-term on-the-job training, and is not a uniform China threshold. The 1 welding engineer certification candidate and 7 apprenticeship titles are not China requirements or actual quotas.

The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred. The actual China release / safety / data systems are checked separately.

This page does not guarantee that any training or certification is recognized by a particular employer, nor does it replace judgments and legal advice on program release and occupational safety and data confidentiality.

About job-posting samples: this page does not use job platform quotes as a wage basis, nor does it write a single job posting as a uniform threshold; education and years of experience, machine and controller and material, shift form and piece-rate method in hiring conditions vary by employer.

About job titles: such roles may use titles such as CNC programmer, CAM programming engineer, CNC process engineer, machining center programmer and manufacturing engineer (programming direction); when comparing, go by the actual process and programming and validation duties and authority, not the title.

BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation. The current independent industry page shows manufacturing 87% and other 13% (including wholesale trade), and the 2025 detail page matches with manufacturing 87%; this is an employment share, not wages, specific position counts or hiring opportunities. The China industry wage background is not an employment forecast.

United States

2025—2035 (BLS projection period)

BLS table 1.2 (SOC51-9162, 2025—2035): total employment 28,600→30,300, published net change +1,700, growth 5.9%, average annual openings 2,700. Total employment includes self-employment, and openings include growth and replacement and do not equal net additions, the actual annual values, an individual hiring probability or AI causation.

It is a U.S. national statistical scope that does not distinguish industry and employer type and region; nor can it be used to infer the number of positions at a particular employer; average annual openings and net change are different indicators.

Total employment change rate (2025—2035)

SOC51-9162 (BLS table 1.2)

Growth 5.9%; average annual openings 2,700 (2025—2035)

Global (cross-economy)

Study release point (public version in 2025)

The study provides an occupation-level generative AI exposure index for comparing task exposure across occupations; it does not provide job gain or loss forecasts.

It is an exposure measure rather than an adoption rate or automation rate; the cross-economy scope differs from national statistical scopes and cannot be converted directly into U.S. or China job changes.

Generative AI occupational exposure index

Cross-economy occupation level (not single-country official statistics)

Exposure ranking and measurement method

Mainland China

2025 wages / 2021 adjacent standard; output historical context for 2025 months 1—May

The precise China occupational wage was not obtained, and the manufacturing matched industry background is labeled separately.

The 2025 manufacturing urban non-private unit average is 113,594 yuan / year and the private average is 76,055 yuan / year, two industry pre-tax averages to be read separately, not the wage range / median / starting pay / individual offer for numerically controlled machine tool programmers. In GB/T4754-2017, under manufacturing, 33 fabricated metal products / 34 general equipment (PDF37/39 page, printed pages 31 / 33) support a manufacturing background consistent with the establishment's main business, and not all machine tool user establishments are classified under machine tool manufacturing 3421. Neither industry wages nor machine tool output is a China employment forecast for this occupation.

Manufacturing industry wage background (two categories listed separately)

The adjacent China occupation multi-process CNC machine tool operator and adjuster 6-18-01-07 (2021 standard) is defined as operating CNC machining lines / combined / composite machine tools / machining centers to cut, including tasks such as program verification and automatic programming; it is not equivalent to the U.S. programmer statistical occupation and no corresponding wage can be inferred.

The 2025 manufacturing urban non-private unit average is 113,594 yuan / year and the private average is 76,055 yuan / year, two industry pre-tax averages to be read separately, not the wage range / median / starting pay / individual offer for numerically controlled machine tool programmers.

Check the 2025 wage and salary data and the 2025—2035 total projection

Used to explain the measurement approach and limitations of task exposure

Check the precise China gap / matched industry background

Used to verify official occupational identity and task structure

Lacks hands-on experience in on-site fixturing and first-article self-inspection and equipment maintenance.

Shared capabilities: drawing reading and tolerances, cutting processes, numerical control code and gauge use.

Editorial estimate fairly close: add on-site fixturing / operating experience; operators may also rewrite simple programs, and authority is checked position by position.

Lacks general software engineering and data structures and engineering development experience.

Shared capabilities: programming thinking, logic and debugging, version and documentation habits.

Editorial estimate moderate: add general software engineering and data structures

Lacks hardware design and circuit and structural validation experience.

Shared capabilities: engineering and mathematics foundation, design understanding, validation and record awareness.

Editorial estimate moderate: add hardware circuit / structural design validation

Lacks cross-disciplinary mechanical and electrical and control integration and design experience.

Shares mechanical / process and validation awareness; electrical control / integration requires dedicated training and validation and is not automatically possessed.

Editorial estimate moderate: add mechatronic integration / control design

Lacks kinematics and trajectory planning and robotics control solution experience.

Shared capabilities: geometry and mathematics foundation, code and simulation, debugging and validation.

Editorial estimate moderate: add robot kinematics / trajectory and control

Lacks deep experience in drafting standards and technical documentation expression.

Shared capabilities: drawing reading and geometry, CAD tools, dimensional and tolerance understanding.

Editorial estimate fairly close: add drafting standards / technical documentation; overlapping duties are checked against the organization.

Lacks deep experience in multi-axis and turn-mill composite and post-processing development and process simulation.

Shared capabilities: numerical control code and tool paths, tools and fixtures, simulation and validation.

Editorial estimate fairly close: add multi-axis / turn-mill composite / post-processing depth

Lacks organizational experience in quality systems and process capability and inspection plans.

Shared capabilities: tolerances and gauges, validation records, deviation analysis and iteration.

Editorial estimate moderate: add quality system / process capability / inspection plans

Tasks come from O*NET51-9162, and U.S. 2025 OEWS wage and salary data and the 2025—2035 total projection including self-employment are kept separate; the precise China gap, the manufacturing background and the adjacent standard are not equivalent. Capability stages / risks / transitions are editorial suggestions, and the fictional exercise does not start a real machine. U.S. OSHA1910.212 requires guarding of applicable machine hazard points; 1910.147 applies to servicing and maintenance with unexpected startup or stored energy release risk, with conditional exceptions for normal production and minor tasks. Buttons / control switches are not energy isolation devices. Tasks are carried out by authorized trained personnel according to the actual machine model and organizational procedures; this is not written as a China statutory qualification.

The main sources are the public pages of U.S. O*NET OnLine (including occupational detail profiles and summaries and industry distribution and technology and national wages and employment trends and certification information), the public wage and employment projection scope of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the ILO research on generative AI occupational exposure, and Mainland China statistical and occupational classification and occupational skill standard information entries; all values and query results must retain their occupation and region and period and units and statistical scope; the source list is in the Sources section of the page.

This nine-module review / revision is dated 2026-10-09; old sources not reopened keep their original access date, and it is not claimed that the whole page was updated.

Usage note: this page is occupational information and does not constitute occupational safety, quality, compliance, legal, intellectual property, tax or investment advice; program release and post-processing configuration, simulation and trial cutting requirements, and hazardous energy control and protection decisions before maintenance and troubleshooting must be based on applicable regulations and employer systems and the opinions of personnel with the corresponding qualifications.