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what is the average salary of mastercam programmers in usa


robel
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In my experience it's the shops that won't invest in new technology or adopt modern practices that also won't pay their people well.  And it makes sense; if your attitudes and policies aren't letting you be competitive you can't afford to pay your people. 

 

 

Spending money to make money is a hard concept to grasp for some people.

Its like having a $400k 5 axis but only having $800 off the shelf computer to run it.

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In my experience it's the shops that won't invest in new technology or adopt modern practices that also won't pay their people well.  And it makes sense; if your attitudes and policies aren't letting you be competitive you can't afford to pay your people. 

Bingo!  My 19 year old runs a Makino cell and two Makino horizontals and he does it well.  He can get better spindle utilization (10%+) than guys that have 20 years experience running VMCs because he has been trained in this environment.  Would this guy be that valuable if he was running VMCs?  Nope.  Anyone who has been around cell systems and HMCs knows what +10% spindle utilization is worth.  He is a good multi-tasker but not an expert machinist by any means.  His skill set is very valuable, to me.

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I just hired his replacement, whom he gets to train so he can move into programming full time.  He has been around the machines enough and seen the ups and downs that he will do a great job in programming at this point.  He has programmed in the past and he has a real spark but he just didn't get to do it more because the demands of keeping the spindles turning.  At this point I think he will have more of an impact as a programmer and if all goes well his pay will go well also.

 

I wouldn't say I'm generous, I pay guys what they are worth to the shop.  I do this to prevent them from going elsewhere and it is a huge savings in the long run.  If you do $12/hr work that is what you would get paid here until you got fired.  I'm not looking for $12/hr guys that stay at $12/hr.  I'm looking for guys that start at $12/hr and quickly learn and grow into more productive employees and end up getting paid $30+ per hour.  It is easy to justify because they are rainmakers.

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thats how i got in the office, started here learning a bridgeport and now im programming and quoting the work and i know my profit margin. problem with moving up in a company is that they will see you as the "apprentice" and then you start passing up the people who trained you and pissing them off.

 

finding new people that have the common sense and ability to learn is half the issue around here

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I'm currently loosing my passion for the current company. Old boss was too good and was sent to Italy. A real good xxxx kicker but was able to get our best. New guy is cold, no passion for the trade, just want the beans well counted.
Went home today feeling I'm working for money. Need to find a way out of here.
I don't mind to work hard, but Jesus... I need to work on a dream...

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The problem, in my experience, with those guys....

 

After many years, if they had any real talent, it's typically gone...and many who do work there, when a layoff comes, have no real skills, they can only follow an SOP

 

NO problem solving skills at all

 

That's been my experience, GE, Polaroid, Pratt & Whitney and several other very large places...

 

There are of course, sometimes exceptions to that statement....

Sounds like my place. They claim they want independent thinkers, problem solvers, etc, but every time you get shut down. It seems the only "thinking" allowed is from middle and on up management, We are just cogs in the machine. It is starting to be a struggle daily... well back to doing it the bosses way because he said so.  :wallbash:

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The only way to improve yourself and get the spark back is to move on. It's risky and might even involve moving across the country, but should be well worth it.

I left one place many many years ago only because I knew they were stuck with 3 axis machines, I loved the ownership, made great money, but hated being stuck with simple stuff. Moved on, took a plunge and couldn't be happier.

The old place is still 3 axis equipment only...ouch

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EVERY risk I've taken so far has paid off. Sometimes the gains were seen in the short term and other times it's taken a few years to realize the gains. Like when I went off on my own for a while.. took a few years for that experience to pay off. Worth every second of the pain.

 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

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  • 1 month later...

I am a 5 axis cnc programmer and also a process engineer and only make 50k a year. Does that seem right to anyone? The other engineer makes way more than I do but only because he is about 20 years older. It doesn't seem to matter if I do a better job than him or go above and beyond what I am asked, which he never does. I am 30 years old and can't even afford a house! I don't get it. Why do all this work and put up with stress when I can't even live comfortably?

It's way harder for our generation to buy a house or get a payable mortgage in the long term since job security is scarce and the cost of most assets skyrocketed.

 

However, it's not so bad like the people going to market now. If you're 20 years old, you're screwed.

 

Last year I was in a barbecue with my technical school class and a friend mentioned that if he was starting today he could not afford to have his house.

 

Sadly, I think he was right.

 

Wall Street sharks are getting richer and richer and the working class can't no longer afford long term investments, like a decent house to raise their children.

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I am a 5 axis cnc programmer and also a process engineer and only make 50k a year. Does that seem right to anyone? The other engineer makes way more than I do but only because he is about 20 years older. It doesn't seem to matter if I do a better job than him or go above and beyond what I am asked, which he never does. I am 30 years old and can't even afford a house! I don't get it. Why do all this work and put up with stress when I can't even live comfortably?

Time to freshen up the resumé and start poking around recruiting websites. Depending on how secure you are in your situation maybe threatening to leave would bring a raise but I've also seen people do that and then get pushed out the door.

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I am a 5 axis cnc programmer and also a process engineer and only make 50k a year.  Does that seem right to anyone?  The other engineer makes way more than I do but only because he is about 20 years older.  It doesn't seem to matter if I do a better job than him or go above and beyond what I am asked, which he never does.  I am 30 years old and can't even afford a house!  I don't get it.  Why do all this work and put up with stress when I can't even live comfortably?

Location, location, location....

 

You don't say how long you've been doing it...just because a person has title 'X" doesn't mean they should automatically be in a higher payscale

 

If you're in your early 20's and doing this for less than 5 years, in your location, that might be pretty darn good...

 

It's tough to mix East Coast and West Coast pay scales about much of the rest of the country. There are some higher pockets but there are also many lower paying pockets for the same job.

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  I am 30 years old and can't even afford a house!  

 

I assume you are single.

Uncle Sam doesn't like single middle class people. The system bends you over and goes in dry. 

I've never been married,I live ...ok ..on my wage. But if I were married we would be one of those couples that is very comfortable financially.

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I would not get too hung up on the precise wage being earned, because location has SO much to do with it. In some places $75k has you living like a king, but here in the PRK, you're practically living in the streets.

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I am a 5 axis cnc programmer and also a process engineer and only make 50k a year.  Does that seem right to anyone?  The other engineer makes way more than I do but only because he is about 20 years older.  It doesn't seem to matter if I do a better job than him or go above and beyond what I am asked, which he never does.  I am 30 years old and can't even afford a house!  I don't get it.  Why do all this work and put up with stress when I can't even live comfortably?

 

It all depends on what part of the country you're in.

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Somewhat related....  Would any of you owners consider hiring someone to gain experience? From asking around in the area[Tampa Bay], the technical schools do not seem to be teaching all that much, and a lot of the students end up becoming button pushers. With the skill gap ever increasing, how would you folks approach getting more experience?
 

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Somewhat related....  Would any of you owners consider hiring someone to gain experience? From asking around in the area[Tampa Bay], the technical schools do not seem to be teaching all that much, and a lot of the students end up becoming button pushers. With the skill gap ever increasing, how would you folks approach getting more experience?

 

I would try contacting some company's and say exactly what you said here. let them know up front I do not have it all but I am trying to get there are you willing to work with me as I cannot find any schools or places teaching me and I am HUNGRY to grow.

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