CNC machinists in the US can easily make about $40,000 a year charging about $18 to $25 an hour. Those with advanced skills can even charge upwards of $50 an hour. Whether you work for an employer or freelance, being a CNC machinist can be a good way to earn a handsome income.

In terms of difficulty, a complete CNC router kit is at the easy end of the spectrum, with CNC routers built from scratch at the difficult end. Choose wisely to avoid disappointment. Even once all is finished, additional work may be required to set up dust extraction and an enclosure.

CNC routers can cut softer materials like wood, plastic, foam and non-ferrous metals like aluminum. They are less rigid than CNC mills, so they cannot transfer enough force to cut through harder materials. On the other hand, CNC mills can cut through harder materials due to the rigidity of the machine head and tooling.