CNC Machinist Salary in South East
Official ONS earnings for South East, covering 6,000 jobs.
Median salary — South East
£40,332
gross, per year, all employees
▲ 12.3% change on the previous year
Mean
£42,519
Jobs measured
6,000
What a typical cnc machinist takes home
On the median of £40,332, 2026/27 tax year, England, Wales and Northern Ireland rates, no pension or student loan.
Take-home a month
£2,713
Take-home a year
£32,559
Income Tax
£5,552
National Insurance
£2,221
What most cnc machinists actually earn
Half of cnc machinists in South East earn between £32,617 and £52,598. Earning above £52,598 puts you in the top quarter of the profession.
ONS suppresses the detailed spread for this occupation at regional level, so this range describes the wider “Metal Machining, Fitting and Instrument Making Trades” group in South East.
The full pay range
Each bar is the salary at that percentile — the 25th means a quarter of cnc machinists earn less than this.
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 publishes a sampling error of 13.7% for this figure and asks that anything above 10% is treated as imprecise — too few people in this region answered the survey for this occupation. The figure is shown because it is the one ONS published, but it is not firm enough to rank South East against anywhere else, so this page doesn't.
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 South East?
The median is £40,332 a year and the mean is £42,519, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Those cover all employees; ASHE publishes no full-time split at regional level.
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, so there is no separate rate for South East.
What is a good CNC Machinist salary?
Half of cnc machinists earn between £32,617 and £52,598. Anything above £52,598 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 £25,221 and the lowest quarter under £32,617 — the range a new entrant is most likely to be offered.
Do cnc machinists in South East earn more than the UK average?
The median in South East is £40,332 against £36,048 across the UK, 11.9% higher. ONS marks the South East figure as imprecise, so treat the gap as indicative.
Has cnc machinist pay gone up in the last year?
ASHE puts the year-on-year change in the median at +12.3% for this occupation in South East. That compares the latest survey with the one before it and is not adjusted for inflation.
How many cnc machinists are there in South East?
ASHE counts around 6,000 employee jobs in “Metal machining setters and setter-operators” (SOC 5221) in South East. 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.
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