Cold Working Machinists

How to become a Turner

Official Chinese title (2022 occupational classification): 车工

Also called: CNC Turner, Manual Turner

Operates lathes, spinning the workpiece and cutting its surface to the shape and size needed.

Main tasks

Fitting fixtures, setting up the lathe, and aligning and clamping the workpiece
Choosing and sharpening cutting tools and fitting them to the machine
Entering commands into the CNC system and understanding the prompts the machine gives
Turning outside and inside diameters, faces, tapers, holes and threads
Checking parts for accuracy with measuring tools and working out the causes of errors
Maintaining machines and tooling

Ways in

Vocational majors: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Aero Engine Manufacturing Technology (460603). Vocational major 460603 Aero Engine Manufacturing Technology (航空发动机制造技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向).; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Digital Design and Manufacturing Technology (460102). Vocational major 460102 Digital Design and Manufacturing Technology (数字化设计与制造技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Mechanical Product 3D Model Design; Digital Factory Production Line Setup and Maintenance; Multi-axis CNC Machining.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing Technology (460118). Vocational major 460118 Mechanical Equipment Manufacturing Technology (机械装备制造技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Digital Management and Maintenance of Construction Machinery; Mechanical Engineering Drawing; CNC Machine Tool Installation and Commissioning.; Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Non-traditional Machining Technology (460114). Vocational major 460114 Non-traditional Machining Technology (特种加工技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Additive Manufacturing Equipment Operation and Maintenance; Laser Processing Technology Applications; Precision CNC Machining.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Machining Technology (660102). Vocational major 660102 Machining Technology (机械加工技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Mechanical Engineering Drawing; CNC Turning and Milling; Mechanical Product 3D Model Design.; Secondary vocational school (中职) major: Mould Manufacturing Technology (660108). Vocational major 660108 Mould Manufacturing Technology (模具制造技术), 3 years. The Ministry of Education's 2022 major profiles list this occupation among those the major prepares students for (职业面向). Example certificates: Mechanical Digital Design and Manufacturing; Digital Design of Drawing Dies; Mechanical Engineering Drawing.

Pay · AI and this job

Median pay in China: CN¥71,800 a year (2025).
Middle half: CN¥54,000 to CN¥94,200. One in ten earn less than CN¥42,800 and one in ten more than CN¥119,400.
This is the figure for the mid group Basic Machining Workers, not for this job alone.
National figure: wage prices of enterprise employees from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) enterprise pay survey. The public sector and the self-employed are not covered.
Guangzhou only: median CN¥72,000 a year (2025), middle half CN¥57,600 to CN¥102,684.
Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Who does this work

The census group Basic Machining Workers holds 1.23% of everyone employed in China; 16.1% of its workers are women (2020 Census).
35.6% are under 35, 56.1% are 35 to 54 and 8.3% are 55 or older. The middle age band is 40 to 44.
Census figures for the whole mid group (2020 long-form sample), not for this job alone.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Turner?

Ways in include: Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Aero Engine Manufacturing Technology (460603); Higher vocational college (高职专科) major: Digital Design and Manufacturing Technology (460102).

How much does a Turner earn in China?

Across China, the median pay of enterprise employees is CN¥71,800 a year (Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), 2025). The public sector and the self-employed are not covered. It is the figure for the mid group Basic Machining Workers. In Guangzhou alone it is CN¥72,000 a year (2025).

Will AI change the work of a Turner?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS): 2025 enterprise pay survey information: wage prices of enterprise employees by occupation mid group, and digital occupations (P10 to P90 annual CNY) (2025 (published 2026-07-08)), retrieved 5 October 2026
Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau: Guangzhou 2025 labour market wage prices (P10 to P90 annual CNY by occupation) (2025 (enterprise pay survey)), retrieved 4 October 2026
National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Population Census Yearbook 2020, long-form tables 4-6 and 4-7 (employed by occupation mid group, sex, age) (2020 Census long form (10% sample)), retrieved 4 October 2026
International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Sources: Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition, public consultation draft), Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, State Administration for Market Regulation and National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, 2025 enterprise pay survey information; Guangzhou Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, 2025 labour market wage prices; National Bureau of Statistics of China (www.stats.gov.cn), 2020 Population Census yearbook; Ministry of Education, vocational education major profiles (2022 revision) and undergraduate major catalogue (2025); Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, national vocational qualifications catalogue (2021); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Figures processed by Peernovo. English text, translations and the matching of occupations to ISCO-08, majors, degree fields and qualifications by Peernovo.

Descriptions and tasks are Peernovo's own words, written from the facts in the Occupational Classification of the People's Republic of China (2022 edition). Job titles and work types are the classification's own.

Updated 5 October 2026