Also called: Job Shop Owner
Runs a small business that machines custom parts for other companies, from race cars to medical devices.
You start at 6 a.m. quoting a job for 500 aerospace brackets, then jump on a CNC when your machinist calls in sick. After lunch you chase a late payment and interview an apprentice. When the big order comes in, you're the one deciding whether to buy a new machine.
Highly variable: depends on shop size and profits. Many owners make modest pay early on.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 10 years after high school. Usually 10+ years as a machinist or programmer before starting a shop; no degree required.
Ways in: On-the-job training, Apprenticeship, Self-taught. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Machine Tool Technology (trade school), Business.
Growing about average. Small-shop counts depend on the economy; demand for US-made parts is rising.
Low risk for 10 years. AI quoting and CAM software help small shops compete; finding customers and running the floor stay human.
Classes: Machining CTE class, Accounting or business, Geometry.
Official data: O*NET occupation 11-3051.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.