Home › Florida › Machining & CNC schools
56 schools in Florida offer machining & cnc-related programs, compared below on official cost, completion, and earnings data. Prefer to earn while you learn? 7 registered apprenticeship sponsors in Florida train machining & cnc apprentices — see apprenticeships. Federal program data groups machining & cnc with welding — schools below may offer any of these.
Florida does not license CNC machinists — the trade is absent from the DBPR's list of professions requiring a license, and no county or city license applies. Most Florida shops look for a high school diploma plus a 12-18 month technical-college machining certificate or equivalent experience, with voluntary NIMS credentials as the standard proof of skill. Registered apprenticeships through Apprentice Florida (typically 3-4 years, paid) are an established alternative to school.
Official source: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) — machining is not on its list of services requiring a license · Exam: None required by the state. Voluntary NIMS credential exams are the industry norm; some Florida programs (e.g., Pinellas Technical College) teach directly to the NIMS curriculum. · Typical requirement: No state-mandated hours. Typical path: high school diploma/GED plus a Florida technical-college Machining/CNC certificate (roughly 12-18 months) or direct on-the-job training; NIMS credentials widely preferred.
| School | City | Type | Net price / yr | Completion | Earnings (10 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radford M Locklin Technical College | Milton | public | $987 | 65.4% | $35,997 |
| Chipola College | Marianna | public | $1,133 | 50.9% | $37,378 |
| Manatee Technical College | Bradenton | public | $1,808 | 71.7% | $38,129 |
| North Florida Technical College | Starke | public | $1,590 | 73.8% | $31,683 |
| Florida Panhandle Technical College | Chipley | public | $2,307 | 41.4% | $32,320 |
| Erwin Technical College | Tampa | public | $2,796 | 79.8% | $37,966 |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center and Technical College | Miami Lakes | public | $2,839 | 5.8% | $35,014 |
| Hillsborough College | Tampa | public | $3,861 | 34.1% | $40,782 |
| South Florida State College | Avon Park | public | $3,877 | 49.8% | $39,990 |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville | public | $4,128 | 38.5% | $42,244 |
| Indian River State College | Fort Pierce | public | $3,815 | 44.3% | $38,315 |
| Pensacola State College | Pensacola | public | $3,957 | 36.9% | $36,739 |
| Northwest Florida State College | Niceville | public | $4,571 | 37.9% | $39,664 |
| Gulf Coast State College | Panama City | public | $4,709 | 38.6% | $38,359 |
| Pasco-Hernando State College | New Port Richey | public | $5,203 | 37.2% | $39,903 |
| Florida Gateway College | Lake City | public | $5,364 | 52.1% | $37,894 |
| Osceola Technical College | Kissimmee | public | $6,186 | 49.6% | $38,484 |
| Fred K Marchman Technical College | New Port Richey | public | $4,881 | 69.4% | $30,259 |
| Eastern Florida State College | Melbourne | public | $6,440 | 46.4% | $37,195 |
| Daytona State College | Daytona Beach | public | $7,177 | 41.6% | $37,096 |
| Lorenzo Walker Technical College | Naples | public | $7,283 | 99% | $36,853 |
| Tallahassee State College | Tallahassee | public | $7,781 | 40.5% | $37,561 |
| Seminole State College of Florida | Sanford | public | $8,970 | 44.5% | $41,733 |
| Palm Beach State College | Lake Worth | public | $9,182 | 38.1% | $41,923 |
| Immokalee Technical College | Immokalee | public | $9,065 | 84.2% | $37,652 |
| Marion Technical College | Ocala | public | $8,831 | 76.2% | $36,095 |
| Santa Fe College | Gainesville | public | $11,098 | 43.9% | $41,631 |
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | public | $10,414 | 60.3% | $38,560 |
| Orange Technical College-South Campus | Orlando | public | $9,215 | 40.2% | $33,350 |
| First Coast Technical College | Saint Augustine | public | $9,577 | 76.7% | $33,784 |
| William T McFatter Technical College | Davie | public | $11,901 | 63.8% | $41,656 |
| Orange Technical College | Orlando | public | $10,525 | 71.2% | $36,650 |
| Withlacoochee Technical College | Inverness | public | $10,348 | 54.6% | $34,279 |
| College of Central Florida | Ocala | public | $12,088 | 46% | $38,203 |
| Riveroak Technical College | Live Oak | public | $10,143 | 70.7% | $31,778 |
| Tom P. Haney Technical College | Panama City | public | $9,099 | 57.8% | $28,254 |
| Lively Technical College | Tallahassee | public | $10,307 | 52.7% | $30,413 |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center and Technical College | Miami | public | $12,776 | 24% | $37,543 |
| Big Bend Technical College | Perry | public | $9,964 | 87.6% | $27,609 |
| Suncoast Technical College | Sarasota | public | $16,917 | 50.5% | $40,621 |
| Lake Technical College | Eustis | public | $16,252 | 60.4% | $32,793 |
| Emerald Coast Technical College | DeFuniak Springs | public | $19,093 | 77.3% | $36,180 |
| Universal Technical Institute-South Florida Miramar | Miramar | private for-profit | $28,759 | 70.2% | $52,873 |
| Orange Technical College-West Campus | Ocoee | public | $13,700 | 73.2% | $25,145 |
| Okaloosa Technical College | Fort Walton Beach | public | $18,819 | 67% | $32,577 |
| Pinellas Technical College-Clearwater | Clearwater | public | $21,932 | 55.3% | $34,627 |
| Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg | Saint Petersburg | public | $23,620 | 56.3% | $36,188 |
| Southern Technical College | Orlando | private for-profit | $20,623 | 39.4% | $29,893 |
| Ridge Technical College | Winter Haven | public | $23,170 | 91.6% | $33,484 |
| Tulsa Welding School-Jacksonville | Jacksonville | private for-profit | $34,714 | 72.8% | $41,067 |
| George Stone Technical College | Pensacola | public | not reported | 43% | $35,234 |
| Fort Myers Technical College | Fort Myers | public | not reported | 81.6% | $40,082 |
| Traviss Technical College | Lakeland | public | not reported | 85.8% | $39,813 |
| Treasure Coast Technical College | Vero Beach | public | $8,500 | 87.8% | not reported |
| Gadsden Technical College | Quincy | public | $3,866 | 88% | not reported |
| Wilton Simpson Technical College | Brooksville | public | $12,547 | 52.2% | not reported |
Ranking = median earnings 10 years after entry per $1,000 of average yearly net price (methodology). Schools without both figures sort last — "not reported" means the federal dataset lacks the value, not that the school is bad.
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