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Two ways in: pay for school (981 U.S. schools offer Precision Metal Working programs at certificate/associate level, median net price $8,501/yr) or get paid to train (1,396 registered apprenticeship programs in the federal database). Federal program data groups machining & CNC with related trades in one category (Precision Metal Working), so school counts cover the category. Many programs are Pell-eligible at Title IV schools; NIMS credentials; registered apprenticeships common in manufacturing states.
Working machining & CNC professionals earn a median of $59,110/yr nationally — state medians range from $47,350 (West Virginia) to $84,410 (Hawaii). Wage data: U.S. Dept of Labor via CareerOneStop.
No state license: Texas, Florida, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan — employers typically expect industry certification instead.
We've verified licensing rules for 10 states so far, each cited to the official board on its state page — more are being added. States not listed above may well require a license: always confirm with your state's licensing authority before enrolling.
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About half of states run their own apprenticeship agencies (including NY, MN, OR, VT, WA, DC) and are under-reported in the federal database — a low count there does not mean apprenticeships don't exist in that state.