I live in Silicon Valley.
A journeyman CNC machinist can pull 120K easily here.
I self learned machining 25 years ago and know G code for easy stuff, sell some motorbike parts online made on a friends mill.
My home shop is an Ecello mill and a vintage South Bend 10K heavy lathe.
Talked my millennial nephew into taking CNC classes, there is a future in it.
Couple that with some 3d modeling for 3d printing and you'll be in business. You could design both subtractive (material removal) and additive (3d printing) prototyping & manufacturing.
Nice setup. I think the real money is on the smart young folks entering the workforce who can bring not only skilled trades know-how, but who can design in 3D CAD and has some familiarity with basic IT and networking and software - C programming as well as G code. Those who are comfortable working outside the traditional box are going to be highly sought-after and will be paid premium wages, especially in smaller companies and the higher-paying R&D type jobs.
“...South Bend 10K heavy lathe.”
I am jealous.
Absolutely; there’s a community college in Virginia that has a well-known and established machining program. Each graduate has an average of seven job offers when they complete the program.
As Mike Rowe has noted, the average age of people in this country who can make things and fix them is 58. Tremendous opportunities for young people who are willing to pursue careers in advanced manufacturing, machining and other skilled trades.
I am also self taught, but prefer manual machines. My career was related to embedded computing, so now I want a break.