CAD/CAM Technician
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
Takes a design into a machining programme - toolpaths, fixtures, simulation - and hands it to the shop floor. The bridge between the drawing office and the CNC machine.
- Route in
- Earliest entry: Diploma. Direct entry. 2 courses lead here
- Entry pay
- ₹15,000 – ₹28,000 / monthly Any experience
- Where you work
- Manufacturing plants, Automotive industry, Power plants, Railways
How people get in
Getting in
Earliest entry point. Diploma level.
Where people work
Outlook
Manufacturing plants, Automotive industry, Power plants, Railways.
Indicative starting salary
Understand the role
15,000 - 28,000 per month at entry level.
This is an indicative range, not a quote. Actual pay varies with employer, city, sector and the specific role.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
Class 10 or Class 12 Required
Class 10 for ITI, Class 12 for a diploma.
ITI or a diploma in Mechanical Engineering Required
Two to three years. Understanding machining is what makes CAM programming realistic.
Learn CAD and CAM software Required
SolidWorks, Creo or NX for modelling; Mastercam, PowerMill or the NX CAM module for toolpaths. Government tool rooms and MSME technology centres run the best courses.
Work in a machine shop or design office Required
Modelling components, generating toolpaths, and proving programmes on the machine. Watching your own programme cut is how you learn to write better ones.
Handle complex work Required
Multi-axis toolpaths, fixture design and cycle time optimisation. Simultaneous five-axis programming is a distinct and scarce skill.
Senior technician, or manufacturing engineering Optional
Process planning and methods engineering, or moving into design with a further qualification.
Courses that lead here
2 mapped routes into this career.
What it pays
Indicative bands.
| Stage | Pay band | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Any experience | ₹15,000 – ₹28,000 / monthly | Varies by employer |
These are ranges, not offers. Pay varies by city, employer size, sector and your own skill more than by job title. Treat the band as the shape of the market, not as a number you can hold anyone to.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
What qualification do you need to become a CAD/CAM Technician?
The earliest entry point is diploma level.
Where does a CAD/CAM Technician usually work?
Manufacturing plants, Automotive industry, Power plants, Railways.
What does a CAD/CAM Technician earn to start?
15,000 - 28,000 per month is a typical entry-level range. Pay varies with employer, city and sector.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.