CNC Machining Jobs in Houston, TX

The CNC machining industry in Houston is a key player in the U.S. economy. As of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2023 count, the Houston metro area was home to roughly 4,190 CNC programmer/operators, putting it among the top five metro areas in the country for this kind of work.

On pay, rather than lean on a national average, we track what employers are actually offering right now across hireCNC's own job board. Texas postings currently run a median of $30.00/hr (n=19 shop-floor roles, most recent board harvest) — see the full CNC machinist pay breakdown for how Texas compares to other states.

The Houston area is home to several schools that offer CNC machining-related programs, ranging from certificate and diploma programs to associate's degrees. Here are five CNC machining schools in the Houston metro area:

• Lone Star College — CNC Machining Certificate Program, located in Tomball, TX. Covers safety, programming, operation setup and maintenance.
• San Jacinto College — CNC Machining Technology Program, located in Pasadena, TX. Offers a CNC machinist certificate and an Associate of Applied Science degree.
• Houston Community College — CNC Machining Technologies Program, located in Houston, TX. Offers a certificate and an Associate of Applied Science degree.
• Lee College — CNC Machining Program, located in Baytown, TX. Covers safety, programming, operation setup and maintenance.
• University of Houston — CNC Machining Certificate Program. Courses for CNC operators, technicians, and programmers.

Houston's CNC machining base spans oil and gas, aerospace (Houston's ties to NASA earned it the nickname “Space City”), automotive, and defense manufacturing — and hireCNC works directly with employers hiring machinists across those industries right now. Two current examples:

Meta Tech Industries is a Houston precision job shop running a strong Okuma-heavy equipment lineup — 5-axis DMG Mori and Haas machining centers, Okuma turning centers — for oil and gas, aerospace, and defense customers, AS9100D and ISO 9001 certified. They're currently hiring CNC lathe and mill machinists.

General Plastics & Composites is a vertically integrated Houston manufacturer running 95 CNC machine tools across a 180,000 sq. ft. facility, machining metals, composites, and hybrid materials for mission-critical applications. They're currently hiring CNC machinists and programmers.

Despite the strength of Houston's CNC machining industry, shops here compete for the same shortage of skilled machinists as everywhere else, and competition from other manufacturing hubs means Houston employers often have to look outside the immediate area for talent. Investing in training, competitive pay, and a clear path for machinists to grow is what wins that competition.