CNC Operator Job Description: What Do CNC Operators Do

Describing the many tasks that a CNC operator would perform during the workday can give the prospective machinist a good idea of how varied and important the job is.

What do CNC operators do during the typical workday? CNC operator job requirements can vary greatly among industries as well as the product focus of the company where a CNC operator works. While the type and combination of job duties and responsibilities can vary greatly depending on the products being manufactured, there are commonalities across many operator and machinist jobs.

Commonalties In The CNC Operator Job Description

The US Small Business Administration defines most manufacturing companies with 500 or less employees as a small business¹. There are approximately 607,000 manufacturing companies in the United States, and about 603,000 of them, or 98.6%, are considered small businesses by the SBA; out of these companies, about three quarters of them have less than 20 employees² . This would support the assumption that typical CNC operator job duties can vary when the CNC operator is part of a small team or may even be the lone machinist at the company.

What Do CNC Operators Do On A Typical Day?

Owing to the Small Business nature of manufacturing, it would make sense that what a CNC operator would have a variety of tasks to perform each day. This could include tasks that are technical and operational, as well as managerial and maintenance management³ .

Are Managerial Procedures Part of A CNC Operator Job Requirements?

Meeting with management to discuss customer feedback and expectations, scheduling and priorities for the workday are most likely a daily task for some CNC operator duties, while some days the CNC operator might find themselves discussing technical matters with an engineer or a product designer.

Soft Skills are Key CNC Operator Job Requirements

In any company, quality working relationships and cooperation are a must. In a small manufacturing company, the CNC operator might need to discuss production numbers with management, work with the parts or inventory department, and coordinate maintenance with the machinery maintenance team. This makes soft skills a very important part of the CNC Operator's skillset.

What Are Some Key CNC Operator Job Duties?

CNC operator job duties revolve around the operation of many types of CNC machinery. Some machines are sophisticated 5-axis vertical milling centers while others are smaller tool-room style lathes. Operating some of these machines can even incorporate the use of robotic assistance to machine or process parts, tools, or other work pieces. Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) Operators set up these machines to the proper configuration for the intended job, load raw stock and run the program designed to process the material into finished product.

Detailed Breakdown of CNC Operator Duties and Responsibilities

We can look further into the details of a CNC Operators technical duties and find that the process is composed of many additional highly detailed responsibilities⁴ :

• Task Preparation: Prepare and execute test runs of equipment, programs and robotics to ensure proper precision and order of operations.
• Document Reviews: Reading and interpreting blueprints, sketches, and computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) files.
• Machine Set-Up: Preparing the machine for use by mounting tools, fixtures, and workpieces. This includes the machine loading process.
• Operating & Monitoring: Running the machine to produce parts, and monitoring its progress go hand-in-hand.
• Quality Assurance: Inspect and measure finished products to ensure they meet specifications using on-machine tolerance tools. Then unload the finished work piece after on-machine quality assurance, and measure by hand if needed.
• Quality assurance: Using precision measuring instruments to ensure the finished product meets specifications. This process may also include random selection of finished inventory for additional quality control inspections.

Additional Component of the CNC Operator Job Description

Beyond managerial duties and the multitude of responsibilities of the CNC operator job description, performing CNC machine maintenance and safety inspections are key responsibilities. Maintenance Procedures include the regular cleaning and light maintenance on the machinery, then recording and keeping detailed records of equipment maintenance, testing and QA procedures.

In the manufacturing environment, safety is everyone's responsibility. Safety is part of every process that occurs at a manufacturing facility. All manufacturing facilities in the United States must comply will all worker safety guidelines specified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, better known as OSHA. A competent CNC Operator follows company safety guidelines and keeps current in their knowledge and practice of manufacturing safety.

¹ SBA Basic Requirements, from https://www.sba.gov/federal-contracting/contracting-guide/basic-requirements#id-meet-size-standards. Last updated on August 1, 2025. Retrieved on September 4, 2025.

² "How Small Manufacturing Businesses Drive the U.S. Economy", from https://www.score.org/resource/blog-post/how-small-manufacturing-businesses-drive-us-economy#:~:text=Manufacturing%20Company%20Sizes. Published on June 13, 2024. Retrieved on September 4, 2025.

³ National Center for O*NET Development. 51-9161.00 - Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators. O*NET OnLine. Last updated on August 26, 2025. Retrieved September 4, 2025, from https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-9161.00.

⁴ "Career Opportunities - CNC Operator" from https://www.nwmicareers.org/career.asp?ait=av&aid=14&#:~:text=Typical%20Day. Retrieved on September 4, 2025.