SOC 51-4041

CNC Machinist Salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + NJ
COL Index: 124.25 (+24.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 75.0% Realized
$53,491 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $71,290 $34.27/hr
Effective Tax Drag 18.97% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$13,521 $520.04/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $34.27 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,277/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$941/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$5,913
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,420
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,034
New Jersey Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$2,155
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$53,491 ($2,057.36 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Trenton-Princeton, NJ CNC Machinist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $71,290
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $46.2k 25th $53.7k Median: $71,290 50th (Median) $71.3k 75th $84.0k 90th $114k You: $71,290
10th (Entry) $46,200 $22.21/hr
25th (Junior) $53,730 $25.83/hr
50th (Median) $71,290 $34.27/hr
75th (Senior) $84,020 $40.39/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $114,400 $55.00/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for CNC Machinist in Trenton-Princeton, NJ
1
CNC Operator TraineeMachine loading, part deburring, basic micrometer inspection
$43,684$21.00/hr · 0-2 Years
2
CNC MachinistG-code/M-code setups, CNC milling/turning, tooling offset adjustments
$65,526$31.50/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior CNC ProgrammerMastercam, multi-axis (5-axis) programming, CAD/CAM surface modeling
$87,368$42.00/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Machine Shop SupervisorProduction scheduling, quality auditing, machine fleet maintenance
$111,637$53.67/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Trenton-Princeton, NJ medianView National CNC Machinist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Tool and Die Makers+$5,300/yr
National median: $64,050
Skill overlap: 94%
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators-$8,060/yr
National median: $50,690
Skill overlap: 93%
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-$5,950/yr
National median: $52,800
Skill overlap: 93%
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic-$8,130/yr
National median: $50,620
Skill overlap: 86%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Trenton-Princeton, NJ under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
40% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,764/month Requires minimum annual gross of $70,560
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,242/month Requires minimum annual gross of $89,680
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $27.48/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $27.18/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Trenton-Princeton, NJ.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$71,290-$13,521$53,491$2,057.36
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$84,657-$18,032$61,545$2,367.12
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$98,024-$22,620$69,523$2,673.95
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$111,391-$27,207$77,500$2,980.78
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$124,758-$31,794$85,478$3,287.61
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

CNC Machinist in Trenton-Princeton, NJ: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and New Jersey tax codes.

Market Baseline
$71,290/yr
$34.27/hr · SOC 51-4041
Statutory Tax Drag
18.97% Effective
-$13,521 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
40% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,694/mo
Post-$1,764/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 51-4041
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

CNC Machinist in Trenton-Princeton, NJ: Market Snapshot

CNC Machinist roles in Trenton-Princeton, NJ report a median annual wage of $71,290, 21.3% above the national median of $58,750. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $46,200 to $114,400, and HUD’s $1,764 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 29.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $27.48 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for CNC Machinist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Urban Honolulu, HI$84,410+18.4%
Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL$82,690+16.0%
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$80,620+13.1%
Barnstable Town, MA$77,650+8.9%
Lake Charles, LA$75,580+6.0%
Anchorage, AK$75,040+5.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$74,560+4.6%
Bismarck, ND$74,090+3.9%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$72,060+1.1%
Flagstaff, AZ$71,620+0.5%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Trenton-Princeton, NJ

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Marketing Managers$208,440$100.21/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$197,420$94.91/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$196,870$94.65/hr
Chief Executives$191,360$92.00/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$186,700$89.76/hr
Financial Manager$184,800$88.85/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$182,230$87.61/hr
General and Operations Managers$181,450$87.24/hr
Purchasing Managers$180,340$86.70/hr
Public Relations Managers$179,330$86.22/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 361 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

CNC Machinist Salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ (2026) Overview

CNC Machinist median pay in Trenton-Princeton, NJ is $71,290 a year ($34.27/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living. Official 2026 economic data for CNC Machinist in Trenton-Princeton, NJ compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a CNC Machinist in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?

The median annual wage is $71,290 ($34.27 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $46,200 and $114,400. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a CNC Machinist in Trenton-Princeton, NJ after taxes?

On the median wage of $71,290, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $56,591 a year ($4,716 a month) after $14,699 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.62%, using 2026 tax rules.