CNC Machining Jobs in California

The CNC machining industry in California is a key player in the U.S. economy, and ranks among the top machining states in America. According to hireCNC's own job board data, CNC machinists posting jobs in California show a median posted wage of $40.00/hour — the highest state median we track (based on shop-floor CNC postings on hireCNC's board). See the full California pay breakdown for what shops are actually posting by role, or the nationwide pay hub for how California compares to other states.

California is home to several schools that offer CNC machining-related programs, ranging from certificate and diploma programs to associate's degrees. Here are five notable CNC Machining Schools (in no particular order) in California:

1. San Jose State University: Located in Silicon Valley, San Jose State offers a CNC Machining Certificate Program designed for those who already hold an associate degree or higher in engineering or a related field, building advanced CNC programming and machining skills.
2. San Diego Community College District: The San Diego district provides two CNC Machinist Certificate Programs at its two locations – City College and Mesa College. Both programs provide students with the skills necessary to program, operate and maintain CNC machines as well as teach them how to read blueprints and CAD/CAM drawings.
3. Santa Rosa Junior College: SRJC's CNC Machining Certificate Program focuses on CNC Lathe Programming & CNC Mill Programming and covers topics such as CNC machine operation, CNC program debugging, CNC part tolerance, CNC programming languages, CNC mill setup and CNC lathe operations.
4. Cypress College: Located in Orange County, Cypress offers a CNC Machinist Certificate Program focused on CNC programming for both two-axis and multi-axis machines. It also teaches students how to read blueprints, use CAD/CAM software, set up jobs correctly and operate the machinery with safety.

California is also where hireCNC sees some of its strongest employer activity on the board — shops actively posting and hiring CNC machinists, setup techs and programmers right now. Browse current CNC openings across California to see who's hiring today, since the roster shifts as positions fill.

Overall, the CNC machining industry in California is a major source of employment and economic growth, with a wide range of opportunities from small machine shops to some of the largest manufacturers in the world. The state relies heavily on imports from other states and countries for many parts and materials, which can push up costs for local manufacturers, and there remains a real shortage of skilled CNC operators as equipment and processes keep advancing. For machinists with the right skills, that shortage is an advantage — it's a big part of why California posts the highest CNC pay of any state we track.