Any CNC Machinists here?

[alex3610]

Considering changing careers. Local community college offers a certificate program as well as a 2 degree in Precision Machining / CNC. If you are in this line of work, do you like it? What are job outlooks like? What kind of money can be made doing this? Would a cert or degree be the route to getting into this field, or would I be better off going to a private technical school? Right now I'm a fireman for a municipal government and I've got about 35 college credits all related to my current job.
Thanks in advance guys.

 

[fastgt110]

Machining is a dying trade in the united states. Stick with being a fireman in my opinion

 

[JBird_Cobra]

My dad has done it for a long time. Some weeks its 30 hours and some weeks its 70 hours. I think he'd much rather do something else and has mentioned several times that most work is going overseas. Sorry to rain on your parade.

 

[alex3610]

That's why I am doing my research before I go do anything drastic. My current job we have had our salaries frozen for going on 5 years now, less men on the street every day, more busy work added daily. Add to that increased health premiums with a lower level of care, and I start to question daily why I am risking my life for $13.74 an hour. It is becoming less of a career and more of a job every passing day. Welding has always intrigued me but I don't know if I posses the raw talent needed for that job.

 

[tistan]

Do you work 1 day on 2 off? I have a few friends that are fire fighters. They use their days off to run businesses. Couple of them cut grass, and make good money. One buys and sells cars and golf carts. If you work a similar schedule to them, I wouldn't change careers. I'd start a business.

 

[odom4V]

Machinists are looking for work everywhere these days, there's not enough to go around. Not worth doing unless you have some sort of production contract (my shop produces UTV cabs). Same goes for welders unless you're single no dependents and want to travel for pipeline/shutdown work. Stay where you are and see if you can find a side job/business for extra cash.

 

[Jroc]

I'm a Manual Machinist,(Tool maker/Die Builder are better terms than Machinist) and I would say I like it about half. It has it's goods and bads.

But CNC Machinist jobs aren't hard to find. At least not in my area. It's the Manual Machinist jobs that can be hard to come by. If you decide to pursue a career machining on metal make sure you get that CNC shit down. I hate it as it bores the **** out of me reading codes and standing there watching some machine and I'm a hands on kind of person I guess, but companies want CNC Machinists in this day and age.

BTW if the counselors at Tech are telling you that "Machinist Jobs" average around $70K/$80K a year tell them to go F themselves and to not lie to you again. You will not make that kind of money unless maybe you're high up in some company, or maybe you work for NASA or a Nuclear plant or something.

 

[jbs$]

Re-locate, move to the ND oil fields, take a chance in life to find something that you like and can make decent money doing. You have a background of skills that can be used to open new doors, now you need balls and a sense of adventure.

 

[04owmach]

CNC programming is the thing to do. There are plenty of places out willing to good money for good programmers. I love machining and what i do and recently just got a raise up to 22/hour. Not shabby for a 2 year degree in my opinion. Oh and go for at least the 2 year associates. Try to get 5 axis experience if you can. Plenty of aerospace jobs out there and some places willing to pay serious money! Don't listen to the guys who tell you can't make money machining either. It is not as easy as it looks but very rewarding when you get to see finished projects!

 

[Blackness03]

I've been doing it for 7 years working in small engineering model shops. I have the certificate. Was going for the degree but had a job before i finished and couldn't turn it down. If i was to do it all over again, I would do it the same. Most companies care more about experience then a 2 year degree. It is a dying trade in the US but mainly for the production side of it. If you can get a job at a large company working in a small quick turn shop there's pretty good money to be made. Many engineers mess up drawings, get the wrong parts from outside vendors and always "need it fixed now" and don't have time to send stuff out. We started our last guy out at $22per hour but that's on the high side. Most shops in this area are going to want to start out around $17 and most are sweat shops with not very good benefits.

I like it but it does get old at times as i'm sure almost every job does. It's pretty laid back most of the time and it's nice to be able to make anything i need for myself. I say go for the certificate to get your foot in the door but learn the most you can on that CNC stuff

 

[deadpres]

BTW if the counselors at Tech are telling you that "Machinist Jobs" average around $70K/$80K a year tell them to go F themselves and to not lie to you again. You will not make that kind of money unless maybe you're high up in some company, or maybe you work for NASA or a Nuclear plant or something.

Or work 60+ hrs a week/no life and have 10+ yrs experience.

It is not as easy as it looks but very rewarding when you get to see finished projects!

^This

I'm in the Gulf of Mehicano(oil/gas) so CNC shops are easy to come by. Programming($$) is where it's at but you have to understand the machining side of it first. Personally, I would look into a class/program that offers some type of hands on with CAD/CAM

 

[assasyn]

I wouldn't do it unless you own your own shop. Make couplings or flanges.

 

[01Jes]

One of my close friends works across the hangar as a tool/die CNC machinist. Makes great bank, $33hr plus OT when avail. He's not a contractor and is civil service.

He's bailed me out more than a few times comes with a price though...ugh

 

[Jroc]

Or work 60+ hrs a week/no life and have 10+ yrs experience.

Yes overtime is where you make your money as a Tool Maker in my 9+ years of experience, but that can be very unreliable. Sometimes you're busting ass working 50, 60, 70, and in some cases 80+ hours a week, but then other times you'll go threw stretches where you're on short hours working 32 or so hours, and making just enough to make all your payments.

I've had seasoned Tool Makers with 30+ years of experience tell me that this trade isn't what it was back when they started out in it. They say that back 30/40 years ago a Tool Maker got a lot of respect for the job he did, but know a days everyone treats Tool makers like some flunky who's job can be performed by anyone, and people don't respect the skill leave required to be a good Tool Maker.

 

[Blackness03]

I've had seasoned Tool Makers with 30+ years of experience tell me that this trade isn't what it was back when they started out in it. They say that back 30/40 years ago a Tool Maker got a lot of respect for the job he did, but know a days everyone treats Tool makers like some flunky who's job can be performed by anyone, and people don't respect the skill leave required to be a good Tool Maker.

Use to work with a guy that had 30+ years experience. He always said the same thing