CNC Machinist — Precision That Defines Manufacturing

Current: v2.0 · Last edited: 2026-03-24

CNC Machinist — Precision That Defines Manufacturing

Setting up, dialling in, running to tolerance — that's expertise a machine can't teach itself. Now you can get paid for it.

🇪🇺 Metal working machine tool operators are on the European Commission's official list of critical shortage professions. Your skills are in high demand. Record them. Get paid.

The Observer Programme pays experienced CNC machinists and machine tool operators to record their working day using lightweight smart glasses. You do your normal work — we capture the expertise.

How it works

• Wear smart glasses during your shift
• Record sessions from 30 minutes up — fits around your production schedule
• Spend a few minutes after each session confirming what tasks you performed
• Get paid per recorded minute. The more you record, the more you earn
• All recordings are anonymised — no faces, no voices, no identifying details

What you'll earn

You're paid per minute of accepted footage — on top of your regular income.

€20–€28 per recorded hour

€80–€112 per recording day (based on ~4 hours)

€1,200–€1,800 per month (based on 20 recording days)

First Observers in a specialism or region earn a launch bonus. Extra earnings possible through referral bonuses and specialist recording tasks.

What we're looking for

• 3+ years of experience as a CNC machinist or manual machine tool operator
• Currently working — employed or self-employed
• Hands-on work: machine setup, tool changes, programming, running, inspection, fault diagnosis
• Smartphone (iOS or Android)

All specialisms welcome: milling machine operator, lathe/turning operator, EDM operative, CNC programmer-operator, manual machine tool operator.

We provide everything

• Smart glasses — shipped to you, pre-configured
• Full onboarding and support (~30 minutes)

About the Observer Programme

The Observer Programme by Aisthis works with professionals across 100+ trades to document how skilled work actually happens. CNC machining — the setup knowledge, the tolerance awareness, the material feel — is precision expertise worth recording.

Applications are reviewed with the help of AI. We'll be in touch if there's a match.