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CNC & machining programs in California
California has 29 accredited campuses awarding machinist credentials. If you finish and work as a machinist in California, expect to start around $37,440–$46,360 and reach a median of $57,190 with experience; the top quarter earn $74,210 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, California). Graduates of these California programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $35,861 in their first year, against $36,340 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What machinists earn in California
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 18,950 employed in California. National median: $58,750.
Campuses in California, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: ComptonCosta MesaCupertinoEurekaGlendaleHaywardLos AngelesMaderaModestoNapaNorcoNorwalkOaklandPasadenaPomonaReddingReedleyRocklinSacramentoSan BernardinoSan DiegoSan JoseSan MarcosSanta AnaSanta Fe SpringsSanta MariaSanta RosaTorranceWoodland Hills
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NTMA Training Centers of Southern California | Santa Fe Springs | non-profit career school | 118 | $35,861 | $8,418 | not reported | not reported |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | Public community college | 60 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| De Anza College | Cupertino | Public community college | 49 | not reported | not reported | 68% | not reported |
| Santa Ana College | Santa Ana | Public college | 45 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Orange Coast College | Costa Mesa | Public community college | 29 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| El Camino Community College District | Torrance | Public community college | 23 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Cerritos College | Norwalk | Public community college | 21 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Laney College | Oakland | Public community college | 13 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Modesto Junior College | Modesto | Public college | 12 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pomona Unified School District Adult and Career Education | Pomona | Public technical college | 11 | not reported | not reported | 85% | $10,280 |
| San Jose City College | San Jose | Public community college | 10 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Compton College | Compton | Public community college | 8 | not reported | not reported | 27% | not reported |
| Norco College | Norco | Public community college | 7 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Sierra College | Rocklin | Public community college | 7 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College | Los Angeles | Public technical college | 6 | not reported | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Napa Valley College | Napa | Public community college | 6 | not reported | not reported | 43% | not reported |
| Chabot College | Hayward | Public community college | 5 | not reported | not reported | 47% | not reported |
| Reedley College | Reedley | Public community college | 5 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Charles A Jones Career and Education Center | Sacramento | Public technical college | 4 | not reported | not reported | 65% | $21,579 |
| Madera Community College | Madera | Public community college | 4 | not reported | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Palomar College | San Marcos | Public community college | 3 | not reported | not reported | 38% | not reported |
| San Bernardino Valley College | San Bernardino | Public community college | 3 | not reported | not reported | 28% | not reported |
| San Diego City College | San Diego | Public community college | 3 | not reported | not reported | 30% | not reported |
| Glendale Community College | Glendale | Public community college | 2 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| Pasadena City College | Pasadena | Public community college | 2 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria | Public community college | 1 | not reported | not reported | 26% | not reported |
| College of the Redwoods | Eureka | Public community college | 1 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Los Angeles Pierce College | Woodland Hills | Public community college | 1 | not reported | not reported | 46% | not reported |
| Shasta College | Redding | Public college | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.