His claim was more than a professional. Apparently going rate for a CNC mill operator is something like $14/hr.

Maybe my friend is full of it (and believe me, I gave him a TON of flak for quitting).

Interesting. My only experience is dealing with fabrication for motorcycle parts. Custom CNC fabricated parts are quite expensive, and hourly rates match that for repair work ($80-120 depending on locality)

Generally these are experienced pro's though, so guessing you gotta start at the bottom and work up.

But that's where I say pity, thought I don't know your friend's circumstances, and certainly if he needs the money now then it's the right choice. But so many just choose the quick, easy money now, and as a result the skilled trades in general are a dying art.

That's about right for a new operator. Though they do make more with time, due to how difficult is to find good ones.