Manufacturing Technician
Q.P.E. Technical Institute · Anaheim, CA
- Cost
- $6,995
- Length
- 18 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
No outcomes reported for this program
About a third of California programs report nothing. That is a fact about the program's reporting, not evidence that it works or does not.
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Shrinking -11.5%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Job ads may call this: Mold Setter · Shear Operator · Cell Technician · Machine Operator
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Inspect workpieces for defects, and measure workpieces to determine accuracy of machine operation, using rules, templates, or other measuring instruments.
- Position, adjust, and secure stock material or workpieces against stops, on arbors, or in chucks, fixtures, or automatic feeding mechanisms, manually or using hoists.
- Read blueprints or job orders to determine product specifications and tooling instructions and to plan operational sequences.
- Select, install, and adjust alignment of drills, cutters, dies, guides, and holding devices, using templates, measuring instruments, and hand tools.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Observe machine operation to detect workpiece defects or machine malfunctions, adjusting machines as necessary.
- Set up and operate machines, such as lathes, cutters, shears, borers, millers, grinders, presses, drills, or auxiliary machines, to make metallic and plastic workpieces.
- Measure and mark reference points and cutting lines on workpieces, using traced templates, compasses, and rules.
- Change worn machine accessories, such as cutting tools or brushes, using hand tools.
What this pays in Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $39,963 | $47,071 | $70,990 |
| Across California | $39,153 | $47,878 | $66,933 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $47,878per yearAnaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: $42,195
- Projected openings
- 3,160Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 580
- Projected change
- 0%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Machine Operator · Machine Set Up Operator · CNC Operator (Computer Numerical Control Operator) · CNC Machinist (Computer Numerical Control Machinist)
- Measure dimensions of finished workpieces to ensure conformance to specifications, using precision measuring instruments, templates, and fixtures.
- Set up and operate computer-controlled machines or robots to perform one or more machine functions on metal or plastic workpieces.
- Mount, install, align, and secure tools, attachments, fixtures, and workpieces on machines, using hand tools and precision measuring instruments.
- Review program specifications or blueprints to determine and set machine operations and sequencing, finished workpiece dimensions, or numerical control sequences.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Stop machines to remove finished workpieces or to change tooling, setup, or workpiece placement, according to required machining sequences.
- Listen to machines during operation to detect sounds such as those made by dull cutting tools or excessive vibration, and adjust machines to compensate for problems.
- Implement changes to machine programs, and enter new specifications, using computers.
- Calculate machine speed and feed ratios and the size and position of cuts.
What this pays in Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $40,112 | $54,697 | $77,657 |
| Across California | $40,575 | $57,799 | $78,593 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $57,799per yearAnaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: $55,310
- Projected openings
- 16,320Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 3,020
- Projected change
- -11.5%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Programmer · Numerical Control Programmer (NC Programmer) · CNC Tech (Computer Numerical Control Technician) · CAD Programmer (Computer-Aided Design Programmer)
- Determine the sequence of machine operations, and select the proper cutting tools needed to machine workpieces into the desired shapes.
- Analyze job orders, drawings, blueprints, specifications, printed circuit board pattern films, and design data to calculate dimensions, tool selection, machine speeds, and feed rates.
- Observe machines on trial runs or conduct computer simulations to ensure that programs and machinery will function properly and produce items that meet specifications.
- Write programs in the language of a machine's controller and store programs on media, such as punch tapes, magnetic tapes, or disks.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Determine reference points, machine cutting paths, or hole locations, and compute angular and linear dimensions, radii, and curvatures.
- Enter computer commands to store or retrieve parts patterns, graphic displays, or programs that transfer data to other media.
- Revise programs or tapes to eliminate errors, and retest programs to check that problems have been solved.
- Modify existing programs to enhance efficiency.
What this pays in Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $56,732 | $83,241 | $128,183 |
| Across California | $57,176 | $83,963 | $128,885 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $83,963per yearAnaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: $79,315
- Projected openings
- 3,190Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 540
- Projected change
- +10%
- Usually needs
- Postsecondary non-degree award
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- 1 to 12 months
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
Manufacturing technician is combining the discipline of CNC machining, quality control inspection and CAD-CAM. The graduate will be prepared for many opportunities in the manufacturing field. This combination program is very unique. Cross training will make the student more valuable to employers and increase their ability to maintain employment.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
Anaheim Workforce ConnectionComprehensive center
Phone: 714-765-4350
201 S. Anaheim BoulevardWest Tower Suite 203Anaheim, CA 92805about 2.1 miles away
Hours: Mon. thru Fri 8:00 - 5:00
Has a veterans' representative
Orange County Workforce Solutions Center - BreaComprehensive center
Phone: 866-500-6587
675 Placentia AvenueSuite 330Brea, CA 92821about 6.4 miles away
Hours: Monday- Friday 9am-6pm Saturday 9am-1pm - EDD Hours-Monday -Friday 8am-5pm
Has a veterans' representative
Orange County Workforce Solutions Center Joint Forces Training Base Los AlamitosAffiliate site
Phone: 866-500-6587
11206 Lexington DriveMilitary and Veterans Resource Center Suite 244Los Alamitos, CA 90720about 6.7 miles away
Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00am-5:00pm
Has a veterans' representative
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →