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CNC machinist training in North Carolina

33 CNC machinist programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

18 schools offer these machinist programs, and North Carolina has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Machinists set up and run equipment, including computer-controlled (CNC) machines, to make precision metal parts and tools. Community colleges and technical schools offer certificates and two-year degrees that teach reading engineering drawings and programming CNC machines.1

In North Carolina, 7 of the 33 programs take students without a high school diploma and 26 ask for a diploma or equivalent.

By kind, the 33 programs here are machinist certificate or diploma (22 programs), machinist (associate degree, 8 programs), CNC or machine operator (2 programs) and short course or single class (1 program).

See the 33 programs

How much does CNC machinist training cost in North Carolina?

Certificates and short courses (25 programs)
$1,172 to $3,273most of them, usually 16 to 48 weeks long
Two-year degrees (8 programs)
$5,298 to $5,636most of them, usually 72 to 85 weeks long

What you pay yourself for the whole program, as the schools report it. "Most" is the middle half of the programs with a price.

In the typical program

Finished the program
56%
Working 6 months later
75%
Earned a year, estimated
about $39,700
Length
16 to 72 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in North Carolina may also offer CNC machinist training. How these figures are made

Is there free CNC machinist training in North Carolina?

All 33 CNC machinist programs in North Carolina approved for WIOA funding

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33 programs

How to pay for CNC machinist training in North Carolina

WIOA funding can pay for CNC machinist training in North Carolina

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Paid machinist apprenticeships

An apprenticeship is a job: you're paid to learn, with a raise as your skills grow, and most include classroom teaching. You apply to the employer or the program sponsor. Ask what you'll pay for the classroom part and what you'll earn on the job.6

Financial aid and grants for CNC machinist training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.78

GI Bill for CNC machinist training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.9

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Quick facts: CNC machinist training in North Carolina

programs with a price cost under $1,000
5 of 32
lowest typical price among the states with enough programs to compare
10th of 34
other states where the typical program's graduates earned less
7 of 15
CNC machinist programs here, against the typical state's 12
33 vs 12

State comparisons use the same figures as the CNC machinist training by state table: the middle program of each state, and only states with three or more schools for prices. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).

Machinist apprenticeships in North Carolina

A machinist apprenticeship is usually run by an employer. It combines paid training on the job with related classes and lasts several years.1

You apply to the employer or the program sponsor, not through a school.6 The Department of Labor's Apprenticeship Finder lists openings by place and job. None of the CNC machinist programs on this page is an apprenticeship.

CNC machinist training in Asheville, Charlotte, Winston-Salem and other North Carolina cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above. 7 more programs are in 6 other areas, 4 in smaller cities and towns.

Other training in North Carolina

How CNC machinist training compares with the rest of skilled trades: Trade school programs in North Carolina

Where the North Carolina machinist program numbers come from

Which North Carolina machinist programs are on this list?

These are the machinist programs North Carolina approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).10 The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what North Carolina offers.

How the prices and results of North Carolina machinist programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about CNC machinist training in North Carolina

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  1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Machinists and Tool and Die Makers
  2. US Department of Labor, TrainingProviderResults.gov: About This Site
  3. US Department of Labor: WIOA Adult Program
  4. Code of Federal Regulations, title 20, part 680, sections 680.220, 680.230 and 680.310: career services before training, other grants such as Pell Grants first, and limits on Individual Training Accounts (GovInfo, 2024 edition)
  5. US Department of Labor: American Job Centers
  6. US Department of Labor, Apprenticeship.gov: Discover Apprenticeship: Earn While You Learn Today (fact sheet)
  7. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Eligibility for Federal Student Aid
  8. US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid: Don't Miss Out on Federal Pell Grants
  9. US Department of Veterans Affairs: GI Bill benefits for non-college degree programs
  10. US Department of Labor, Training and Employment Guidance Letter 8-19, Attachment I: Requirements for Training Providers, Program Eligibility, and the State Eligible Training Provider (ETP) List