CNC Machinist Salary
Official ONS earnings for the UK, covering 47,000 jobs.
Median salary
£36,048
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 1.9% change on the previous year
Full-time only
£36,342
Mean
£37,790
Jobs measured
47,000
What a typical cnc machinist takes home
On the median of £36,048, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,456
Take-home a year
£29,474
Income Tax
£4,696
National Insurance
£1,878
What most cnc machinists actually earn
Half of cnc machinists earn between £30,167 and £43,123. Earning above £43,123 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of cnc machinists earn less than this.
CNC Machinist salary by region
7 of 11 GB regions have a published figure for this occupation.
| Region | Median | Mean |
|---|---|---|
| South East | £40,332 | £42,519 |
| South West | £39,252 | £39,973 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £37,090 | £38,313 |
| East Midlands | £36,436 | £38,296 |
| East | £35,960 | £39,015 |
| West Midlands | £33,427 | £34,057 |
| North West | £31,668 | £34,723 |
Where this figure comes from
- ONS occupation group
- Metal machining setters and setter-operators
- SOC 2020 code
- 5221
- Measure
- Gross annual pay, all employees
- Edition
- ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2026 provisional
ONS doesn't measure “cnc machinist” as its own category. These figures are for the wider group “Metal machining setters and setter-operators”, which includes this role alongside others. ONS measures metal machining setters and setter-operators.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures are estimates from a survey of PAYE jobs and are not financial advice.
CNC Machinist salary FAQs
What is the average CNC Machinist salary in the UK?
The median is £36,048 a year and the mean is £37,790, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; full-time employees alone have a median of £36,342.
How much does a cnc machinist earn per hour?
Across the UK the median hourly rate is £17.48 excluding overtime. ASHE publishes hourly pay by occupation nationally only.
What is a good CNC Machinist salary?
Half of cnc machinists earn between £30,167 and £43,123. Anything above £43,123 is in the top quarter for the role.
What is the starting salary for a cnc machinist?
ASHE does not record experience, so there is no official starting salary. What it does show is that the lowest-paid 10% of cnc machinists earn under £25,799 and the lowest quarter under £30,167 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Which part of the UK pays cnc machinists the most?
Yorkshire and The Humber, at a median of £37,090, is the highest of the 3 GB regions with a precise ONS estimate; West Midlands is the lowest at £33,427. Regions where ONS marks the figure as imprecise are not ranked.
Has cnc machinist pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +1.9% for this occupation in the UK. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many cnc machinists are there in the UK?
ASHE counts around 47,000 employee jobs in “Metal machining setters and setter-operators” (SOC 5221) in the UK. Self-employed work is not included.
Is this figure official?
Yes. It comes from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, an accredited official statistic based on employer PAYE records.
Similar roles
Official figures show the market. Your salary shows what employers actually pay.
Add your salary anonymously