CNC Operator
$63,460 earning potential
$63,460
High-end Earners in
Arkansas ( Top 10% )
$42,260
median annual wage
$20
median hourly wage
Responsibilities
- Set up, monitor and operate the machines
- Calibrate the settings of the machines for temperature, speed and cycle times
- Feed material into the machines and remove the finished products
- Use gauges and measuring instruments to test finished products and ensure they meet specifications
- Record production numbers
Arkansas
Profile
Name
Tommy Crews
Job
CNC Technician
High School
Valley Springs High School
Age
22
Where I Trained
North Arkansas College CNC program and on-the-job training
What I earned
Certificate of Proficiency in Engineering
"When you’re tearing into something like a problem and you figure it out, it’s a pretty good feeling. Writing programs, doing changeovers for different parts, it makes the time go by pretty fast. It’s pretty nice. I just like the variety of things."
Tommy started out doing production for Pace Industries. After a few months, his boss asked him to take a CNC class so that he could be a CNC technician for the company.
Arkansas Job Outlook
330
Average annual job openings
3,090
Number of jobs by 2028
+8%
Expected growth from 2024 to 2026