added to the U.S. economy
Manufacturers added $2.93 trillion to the U.S. economy in the third quarter of 2024, according to NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
NIST, Manufacturing in America March 2025CNC machining &
U.S. manufacturing statistics
Key workforce, economic, and innovation figures for people building, reporting on, and buying physical products. Every statistic below links to its original public source.
machinists employed in the U.S.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 298,790 machinists in its May 2024 national employment estimate.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024machine-tool cutting roles
Machine-tool cutting setters, operators, and tenders in metal and plastic accounted for 282,640 U.S. jobs in May 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024machinists employed in California
California had the country's highest reported state employment level for machinists in May 2024.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state employment chart May 2024tool and die makers employed
The BLS counted 55,130 tool and die makers nationally in May 2024, with a mean annual wage of $65,100.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024in domestic R&D by manufacturers
Manufacturing companies performed $326 billion, or 54%, of all domestic research and development in 2021, according to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics as cited by NIST.
NIST, Manufacturing in America March 2025, reporting 2021 dataWHAT THE FIGURES SHOW
Making physical products still depends on skilled work.
These numbers put CNC machining in context: it sits inside a vast manufacturing economy, and the people who turn designs into parts remain a substantial technical workforce.
For hardware teams, the useful takeaway is not a benchmark to chase. It is a reminder that a clear drawing, an honest tolerance callout, and a manufacturable model help the shop focus its skilled time where the part actually needs it.
Upload a partSOURCES & METHOD
How to read this page
This is a maintained reference, not a survey of twentyfour26 customers or an estimate of any individual shop. Figures are reported as published by the named public source. Source publication dates and data dates are kept beside each statistic.
- 01NIST, Manufacturing in America
March 2025. Used for $2.93T added to the U.S. economy.
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- 06NIST, Manufacturing in America
March 2025, reporting 2021 data. Used for $326B in domestic R&D by manufacturers.
CITE THIS PAGE
twentyfour26. “CNC Machining & U.S. Manufacturing Statistics.” Updated October 22, 2026.
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