Program job outlook

Machine Shop Technology/Assistant.

Graduates, employment, and wages for this program in Bluegrass during 2025-2026. Null means the source file had no value for that field.

GET /api/program-job-outlook?cip=480503&institution=bluegrass

KCTCS graduates: 17
Employment rate: 92%
Median annual wages: $90,579
Annual openings: 229
Occupational median wages: $50,897
Occupational entry wages: $40,627

Program details

Program: Machine Shop Technology/Assistant.
National program area: Computerized Manufacturing & Machining
Academic year: 2025-2026
CIP: 480503
Institution: Bluegrass bluegrass
Region: Bluegrass
Area level: LWA Level

Occupations

6 occupations

Machinists

51-4041.00 Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

Entry annual wages

$45,948

Median annual wages

$62,413

2024 employment: 600
2034 projected: 635
10-year change: 35 (5.8%)
Annual growth: 0.6%
Annual openings: 64
10-year openings: 643

Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters

51-2041.00 Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

Entry annual wages

$44,358

Median annual wages

$53,874

2024 employment: 56
2034 projected: 53
10-year change: -3 (-5.4%)
Annual growth: -0.6%
Annual openings: 5
10-year openings: 51

Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.

Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

51-4081.00 Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

Entry annual wages

$37,877

Median annual wages

$47,245

2024 employment: 1,258
2034 projected: 1,348
10-year change: 90 (7.2%)
Annual growth: 0.7%
Annual openings: 137
10-year openings: 1,370

Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.

Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators

51-9161.00 Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

Entry annual wages

$36,920

Median annual wages

$46,271

2024 employment: 229
2034 projected: 224
10-year change: -5 (-2.2%)
Annual growth: -0.2%
Annual openings: 20
10-year openings: 203

Operate computer-controlled tools, machines, or robots to machine or process parts, tools, or other work pieces made of metal, plastic, wood, stone, or other materials. May also set up and maintain equipment.

Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

51-4191.00 Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

Entry annual wages

$38,031

Median annual wages

$44,683

2024 employment: 31
2034 projected: 29
10-year change: -2 (-6.4%)
Annual growth: -0.7%
Annual openings: 3
10-year openings: 28

Set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.

Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

51-4033.00 Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

Entry annual wages

—

Median annual wages

—

2024 employment: —
2034 projected: —
10-year change: — (0%)
Annual growth: 0%
Annual openings: —
10-year openings: —

Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.

Example response

The JSON object returned for this program. Formatted fields are display strings; unformatted fields keep the raw number, or null when the source had no value.

/api/program-job-outlook?cip=480503&institution=bluegrass

{
    "academic_year": "2025-2026",
    "cip": "480503",
    "institution": "bluegrass",
    "program_area": "Machine Shop Technology/Assistant.",
    "national_program_area": "Computerized Manufacturing & Machining",
    "region": "Bluegrass",
    "area_aggregation_level": "LWA Level",
    "post_kctcs_graduate_count": 17,
    "post_kctcs_graduate_count_formatted": "17",
    "post_kctcs_employment_rate": "92%",
    "post_kctcs_employment_rate_formatted": "92%",
    "post_kctcs_median_annual_wages": 90579,
    "post_kctcs_median_annual_wages_formatted": "90,579",
    "average_annual_openings": 229,
    "average_annual_openings_formatted": "229",
    "median_annual_wages": 50897,
    "median_annual_wages_formatted": "50,897",
    "median_entry_annual_wages": 40627,
    "median_entry_annual_wages_formatted": "40,627",
    "occupation_outlooks": [
        {
            "occupation_code": "51-4041.00",
            "occupation_title": "Machinists",
            "occupation_description": "Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.",
            "typical_education_level": "High school diploma or equivalent",
            "estimated_employment": 600,
            "estimated_employment_formatted": "600",
            "projected_employment": 635,
            "projected_employment_formatted": "635",
            "employment_change": 35,
            "employment_change_formatted": "35",
            "percent_change": 0.058,
            "percent_change_formatted": "5.8%",
            "annualized_percent_growth": 0.006,
            "annualized_percent_growth_formatted": "0.6%",
            "average_annual_openings": 64,
            "average_annual_openings_formatted": "64",
            "openings": 643,
            "openings_formatted": "643",
            "entry_annual_wages": 45948,
            "entry_annual_wages_formatted": "45,948",
            "median_annual_wages": 62413,
            "median_annual_wages_formatted": "62,413",
            "sub_occupation_descriptions": []
        },
        {
            "occupation_code": "51-2041.00",
            "occupation_title": "Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters",
            "occupation_description": "Fabricate, position, align, and fit parts of structural metal products.",
            "typical_education_level": "High school diploma or equivalent",
            "estimated_employment": 56,
            "estimated_employment_formatted": "56",
            "projected_employment": 53,
            "projected_employment_formatted": "53",
            "employment_change": -3,
            "employment_change_formatted": "-3",
            "percent_change": -0.054,
            "percent_change_formatted": "-5.4%",
            "annualized_percent_growth": -0.006,
            "annualized_percent_growth_formatted": "-0.6%",
            "average_annual_openings": 5,
            "average_annual_openings_formatted": "5",
            "openings": 51,
            "openings_formatted": "51",
            "entry_annual_wages": 44358,
            "entry_annual_wages_formatted": "44,358",
            "median_annual_wages": 53874,
            "median_annual_wages_formatted": "53,874",
            "sub_occupation_descriptions": []
        },
        {
            "occupation_code": "51-4081.00",
            "occupation_title": "Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic",
            "occupation_description": "Set up, operate, or tend more than one type of cutting or forming machine tool or robot.",
            "typical_education_level": "High school diploma or equivalent",
            "estimated_employment": 1258,
            "estimated_employment_formatted": "1,258",
            "projected_employment": 1348,
            "projected_employment_formatted": "1,348",
            "employment_change": 90,
            "employment_change_formatted": "90",
            "percent_change": 0.072,
            "percent_change_formatted": "7.2%",
            "annualized_percent_growth": 0.007,
            "annualized_percent_growth_formatted": "0.7%",
            "average_annual_openings": 137,
            "average_annual_openings_formatted": "137",
            "openings": 1370,
            "openings_formatted": "1,370",
            "entry_annual_wages": 37877,
            "entry_annual_wages_formatted": "37,877",
            "median_annual_wages": 47245,
            "median_annual_wages_formatted": "47,245",
            "sub_occupation_descriptions": []
        },
        {
            "occupation_code": "51-9161.00",
            "occupation_title": "Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators",
            "occupation_description": "Operate computer-controlled tools, machines, or robots to machine or process parts, tools, or other work pieces made of metal, plastic, wood, stone, or other materials. May also set up and maintain equipment.",
            "typical_education_level": "High school diploma or equivalent",
            "estimated_employment": 229,
            "estimated_employment_formatted": "229",
            "projected_employment": 224,
            "projected_employment_formatted": "224",
            "employment_change": -5,
            "employment_change_formatted": "-5",
            "percent_change": -0.022,
            "percent_change_formatted": "-2.2%",
            "annualized_percent_growth": -0.002,
            "annualized_percent_growth_formatted": "-0.2%",
            "average_annual_openings": 20,
            "average_annual_openings_formatted": "20",
            "openings": 203,
            "openings_formatted": "203",
            "entry_annual_wages": 36920,
            "entry_annual_wages_formatted": "36,920",
            "median_annual_wages": 46271,
            "median_annual_wages_formatted": "46,271",
            "sub_occupation_descriptions": []
        },
        {
            "occupation_code": "51-4191.00",
            "occupation_title": "Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic",
            "occupation_description": "Set up, operate, or tend heating equipment, such as heat-treating furnaces, flame-hardening machines, induction machines, soaking pits, or vacuum equipment to temper, harden, anneal, or heat treat metal or plastic objects.",
            "typical_education_level": "High school diploma or equivalent",
            "estimated_employment": 31,
            "estimated_employment_formatted": "31",
            "projected_employment": 29,
            "projected_employment_formatted": "29",
            "employment_change": -2,
            "employment_change_formatted": "-2",
            "percent_change": -0.064,
            "percent_change_formatted": "-6.4%",
            "annualized_percent_growth": -0.007,
            "annualized_percent_growth_formatted": "-0.7%",
            "average_annual_openings": 3,
            "average_annual_openings_formatted": "3",
            "openings": 28,
            "openings_formatted": "28",
            "entry_annual_wages": 38031,
            "entry_annual_wages_formatted": "38,031",
            "median_annual_wages": 44683,
            "median_annual_wages_formatted": "44,683",
            "sub_occupation_descriptions": []
        },
        {
            "occupation_code": "51-4033.00",
            "occupation_title": "Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic",
            "occupation_description": "Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.",
            "typical_education_level": "High school diploma or equivalent",
            "estimated_employment": null,
            "estimated_employment_formatted": null,
            "projected_employment": null,
            "projected_employment_formatted": null,
            "employment_change": null,
            "employment_change_formatted": null,
            "percent_change": 0,
            "percent_change_formatted": "0%",
            "annualized_percent_growth": 0,
            "annualized_percent_growth_formatted": "0%",
            "average_annual_openings": null,
            "average_annual_openings_formatted": null,
            "openings": null,
            "openings_formatted": null,
            "entry_annual_wages": null,
            "entry_annual_wages_formatted": null,
            "median_annual_wages": null,
            "median_annual_wages_formatted": null,
            "sub_occupation_descriptions": []
        }
    ]
}