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Date: 06/30/2025

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators

Operate computer-controlled tools, machines, or robots to machine or process parts, tools, or other work pieces made of metal, plastic, wood, stone, or other materials. May also set up and maintain equipment.

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    Work Activities

    Work Activities

    • Adjust machine feed and speed, change cutting tools, or adjust machine controls when automatic programming is faulty or if machines malfunction.
    • Check to ensure that workpieces are properly lubricated and cooled during machine operation.
    • Modify cutting programs to account for problems encountered during operation, and save modified programs.
    • Lay out and mark areas of parts to be shot peened and fill hoppers with shot.
    • Adjust machine feed and speed, change cutting tools, or adjust machine controls when automatic programming is faulty or if machines malfunction.
    • Monitor machine operation and control panel displays, and compare readings to specifications to detect malfunctions.
    • Mount, install, align, and secure tools, attachments, fixtures, and workpieces on machines, using hand tools and precision measuring instruments.
    • Calculate machine speed and feed ratios and the size and position of cuts.
    • Stop machines to remove finished workpieces or to change tooling, setup, or workpiece placement, according to required machining sequences.
    • Set up future jobs while machines are operating.
    • Listen to machines during operation to detect sounds such as those made by dull cutting tools or excessive vibration, and adjust machines to compensate for problems.
    • Mount, install, align, and secure tools, attachments, fixtures, and workpieces on machines, using hand tools and precision measuring instruments.
    • Lay out and mark areas of parts to be shot peened and fill hoppers with shot.
    • Remove and replace dull cutting tools.
    • Examine electronic components for defects or completeness of laser-beam trimming, using microscopes.
    • Control coolant systems.
    • Maintain machines and remove and replace broken or worn machine tools, using hand tools.
    • Maintain machines and remove and replace broken or worn machine tools, using hand tools.
    • Insert control instructions into machine control units to start operation.
    • Mount, install, align, and secure tools, attachments, fixtures, and workpieces on machines, using hand tools and precision measuring instruments.
    • Implement changes to machine programs, and enter new specifications, using computers.
    • Enter commands or load control media, such as tapes, cards, or disks, into machine controllers to retrieve programmed instructions.
    • Remove and replace dull cutting tools.
    • Lift workpieces to machines manually or with hoists or cranes.
    • Review program specifications or blueprints to determine and set machine operations and sequencing, finished workpiece dimensions, or numerical control sequences.
    • Implement changes to machine programs, and enter new specifications, using computers.
    • Transfer commands from servers to computer numerical control (CNC) modules, using computer network links.
    • Stack or load finished items, or place items on conveyor systems.
    • Measure dimensions of finished workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments, templates, and fixtures.
    • Clean machines, tooling, or parts, using solvents or solutions and rags.
    • Input initial part dimensions into machine control panels.
    • Confer with supervisors or programmers to resolve machine malfunctions or production errors or to obtain approval to continue production.
    • Maintain machines and remove and replace broken or worn machine tools, using hand tools.
    • Write simple programs for computer-controlled machine tools.
    • Adjust machine feed and speed, change cutting tools, or adjust machine controls when automatic programming is faulty or if machines malfunction.
    • Set up and operate computer-controlled machines or robots to perform one or more machine functions on metal or plastic workpieces.

    Skills

    • Learning Strategies

      Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.

    • Quality Control Analysis

      Testing how well a product or service works.

    • Negotiation

      Bringing people together to solve differences.

    • Instructing

      Teaching people how to do something.

    • Monitoring

      Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

    • Social Perceptiveness

      Understanding people's reactions.

    • Management of Financial Resources

      Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.

    • Management of Material Resources

      Managing equipment and materials.

    • Critical Thinking

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

    • Active Learning

      Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

    • Complex Problem Solving

      Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

    • Speaking

      Talking to others.

    • Repairing

      Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.

    • Coordination

      Changing what is done based on other people's actions.

    • Systems Evaluation

      Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

    • Operations Analysis

      Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.

    • Active Listening

      Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

    • Troubleshooting

      Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.

    • Writing

      Writing things for co-workers or customers.

    • Systems Analysis

      Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.

    • Mathematics

      Using math to solve problems.

    • Equipment Maintenance

      Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.

    • Service Orientation

      Looking for ways to help people.

    • Judgment and Decision Making

      Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

    • Operation and Control

      Using equipment or systems.

    • Management of Personnel Resources

      Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.

    • Reading Comprehension

      Reading work-related information.

    • Equipment Selection

      Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.

    • Installation

      Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.

    • Persuasion

      Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.

    • Science

      Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.

    • Time Management

      Managing your time and the time of other people.

    • Operations Monitoring

      Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    • Technology Design

      Making equipment and technology useful for customers.

    • Programming

      Writing computer programs.

    WorkKeys®

    Applied Math
    N/A
    Workplace Documents
    N/A
    Graphic Literacy
    N/A

    Abilities

    • Explosive Strength

      Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.

    • Oral Comprehension

      Listening and understanding what people say.

    • Gross Body Coordination

      Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.

    • Wrist-Finger Speed

      Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.

    • Dynamic Flexibility

      Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Rate Control

      Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

    • Stamina

      Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.

    • Auditory Attention

      Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    • Multilimb Coordination

      Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.

    • Peripheral Vision

      Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.

    • Selective Attention

      Paying attention to something without being distracted.

    • Inductive Reasoning

      Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.

    • Speech Clarity

      Speaking clearly.

    • Trunk Strength

      Using your lower back and stomach.

    • Information Ordering

      Ordering or arranging things.

    • Far Vision

      Seeing details that are far away.

    • Flexibility of Closure

      Seeing hidden patterns.

    • Speed of Limb Movement

      Quickly moving your arms and legs.

    • Extent Flexibility

      Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

    • Originality

      Creating new and original ideas.

    • Control Precision

      Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

    • Written Expression

      Communicating by writing.

    • Visualization

      Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

    • Sound Localization

      Noticing the direction that a sound came from.

    • Spatial Orientation

      Knowing where things are around you.

    • Mathematical Reasoning

      Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.

    • Hearing Sensitivity

      Telling the difference between sounds.

    • Glare Sensitivity

      Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.

    • Written Comprehension

      Reading and understanding what is written.

    • Night Vision

      Seeing at night or under low light.

    • Gross Body Equilibrium

      Keeping your balance or staying upright.

    • Finger Dexterity

      Putting together small parts with your fingers.

    • Manual Dexterity

      Holding or moving items with your hands.

    • Speech Recognition

      Recognizing spoken words.

    • Time Sharing

      Doing two or more things at the same time.

    • Response Orientation

      Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.

    • Problem Sensitivity

      Noticing when problems happen.

    • Dynamic Strength

      Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.

    • Fluency of Ideas

      Coming up with lots of ideas.

    • Reaction Time

      Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.

    • Perceptual Speed

      Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

    • Depth Perception

      Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.

    • Near Vision

      Seeing details up close.

    • Speed of Closure

      Quickly knowing what you are looking at.

    • Category Flexibility

      Grouping things in different ways.

    • Deductive Reasoning

      Using rules to solve problems.

    • Memorization

      Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.

    • Visual Color Discrimination

      Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.

    • Number Facility

      Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.

    • Static Strength

      Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.

    • Oral Expression

      Communicating by speaking.

    • Arm-Hand Steadiness

      Keeping your arm or hand steady.

    Knowledge

    • Telecommunications

      Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

    • Sales and Marketing

      Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

    • Fine Arts

      Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

    • Design

      Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

    • Education and Training

      Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

    • Mechanical

      Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

    • Personnel and Human Resources

      Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

    • Philosophy and Theology

      Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.

    • Law and Government

      Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

    • Mathematics

      Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

    • Foreign Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.

    • Production and Processing

      Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

    • Medicine and Dentistry

      Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

    • Biology

      Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

    • Economics and Accounting

      Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.

    • Geography

      Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.

    • Therapy and Counseling

      Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

    • Food Production

      Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.

    • Computers and Electronics

      Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

    • Transportation

      Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

    • Sociology and Anthropology

      Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    • Building and Construction

      Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.

    • Administration and Management

      Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

    • Psychology

      Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

    • Public Safety and Security

      Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

    • Chemistry

      Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.

    • Physics

      Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.

    • English Language

      Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

    • Administrative

      Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

    • History and Archeology

      Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.

    • Communications and Media

      Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

    • Engineering and Technology

      Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

    • Customer and Personal Service

      Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

    Career Video

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    Pay

    • Ohio Annual Salary 47620/yr
    • Typical Salary
    • Ohio Hourly Wage 22.9/hr
    • Typical Hourly Wage

    Ohio Employment Trends

    • Currently Employed 13,080
    • Yearly Projected Openings 1100

    Typical Education

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cooperation
    • Initiative
    • Analytical Thinking
    • Integrity

    Tools

    • Automatic lathe or chucking machine
    • Bench vises
    • Boring machines
    • Calipers
    • Chucks
    • Comparators
    • Coordinate measuring machines CMM
    • Deburring tool
    • Desktop computers
    • Dial indicator or dial gauge
    • Drill press or radial drill
    • Edge bander
    • Forklifts
    • Form tools or toolbits
    • Furnaces
    • Game pads or joy sticks
    • Go or no go gauge
    • Grinders
    • Hand clamps
    • Hand reamer
    • Height gauges
    • Hoists
    • Hole gauge
    • Horizontal machining center
    • Horizontal turning center
    • Hydraulic press brake
    • Laser cutting machine
    • Laser measuring systems
    • Laser printers
    • Metal band sawing machine
    • Metal broaching machines
    • Microcontrollers
    • Micrometers
    • Milling machines
    • Personal computers
    • Pin gauge
    • Power buffers
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Power routers
    • Power sanders
    • Profiling and duplicating milling machine
    • Safety glasses
    • Scribers
    • Spot welding machine
    • Surface grinding machine
    • Tapping machine
    • Thread counters or gauges
    • Threading machine
    • Tracer or duplicating or contouring lathe
    • Traveling column milling machine
    • Turning machines
    • Turret lathe
    • Vertical machining center
    • Vertical turning center
    • Welding masks
    • Wire cathode electrode discharge machine

    Technology

    • Analytical or scientific software
    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Computer aided manufacturing CAM software
    • Desktop communications software
    • Development environment software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Enterprise resource planning ERP software
    • Industrial control software
    • Information retrieval or search software
    • Object or component oriented development software
    • Office suite software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Video conferencing software
    • Word processing software

    Tags

    • InDemand occupations are considered a priority by the state of Ohio.
    • Apprenticeships are available for this occupation. These programs can help you get hands-on experience and build your skills.
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