Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-9021) earn a median $48,540 a year ($23.34 an hour) in the United States, with 26,000 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Wyoming.
What crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine operators reduce and refine bulk materials, including coal, glass, grain, stone, food products, and rubber. Crushers break large pieces into smaller ones, grinders mill them to a required fineness, and polishing machines smooth and finish surfaces. The operator moves controls to start, stop, and adjust the equipment, tends supporting equipment such as pumps and conveyors that move material through the process, and weighs or measures output at set intervals to be sure it meets requirements. The operator watches the equipment for continuous flow, safe operation, and signs of trouble, rejects defective products, and tells a supervisor when repairs are needed. Routine cleaning and adjustment with hand tools is part of the job. Data from operations, testing, and production are recorded on forms. Metal and plastic grinding machines are covered by a separate machine-tool code.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Abrasive Grinder, Air Bag Buffer, Air Chipper, Automatic Blocker, Automatic Buffer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.56 | $19.44 | $23.34 | $28.87 | $33.29 | $24.70 | 26,000 |
| Annual | $36,520 | $40,430 | $48,540 | $60,040 | $69,240 | $51,380 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Wyoming | Hourly | $24.21 | $28.67 | $34.28 | $41.53 | $53.02 | $36.41 | 170 | 0.60 | 3.60 |
| Annual | $50,350 | $59,630 | $71,300 | $86,370 | $110,270 | $75,730 | ||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $18.90 | $18.91 | $33.04 | $38.24 | $42.45 | $30.32 | 60 | 0.18 | 1.07 |
| Annual | $39,310 | $39,330 | $68,730 | $79,530 | $88,300 | $63,070 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $21.56 | $23.98 | $30.09 | $30.61 | $31.14 | $27.77 | 1,420 | 0.91 | 5.44 |
| Annual | $44,840 | $49,880 | $62,590 | $63,670 | $64,780 | $57,770 | ||||
| Nevada | Hourly | $18.29 | $23.36 | $28.93 | $37.84 | $40.09 | $29.80 | 660 | 0.42 | 2.53 |
| Annual | $38,040 | $48,580 | $60,180 | $78,710 | $83,390 | $61,990 | ||||
| Montana | Hourly | $16.65 | $22.15 | $28.90 | $29.45 | $31.85 | $26.74 | 260 | 0.51 | 3.04 |
| Annual | $34,630 | $46,070 | $60,110 | $61,250 | $66,250 | $55,610 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $17.95 | $19.46 | $22.05 | $26.40 | $34.89 | $23.93 | 2,370 | 0.13 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $37,340 | $40,470 | $45,870 | $54,910 | $72,580 | $49,770 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $17.26 | $18.58 | $21.08 | $26.98 | $30.82 | $23.06 | 1,590 | 0.29 | 1.72 |
| Annual | $35,910 | $38,650 | $43,850 | $56,110 | $64,110 | $47,960 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $15.75 | $17.97 | $21.68 | $24.36 | $28.01 | $22.02 | 1,440 | 0.10 | 0.61 |
| Annual | $32,760 | $37,380 | $45,090 | $50,670 | $58,260 | $45,810 | ||||
| Iowa | Hourly | $21.56 | $23.98 | $30.09 | $30.61 | $31.14 | $27.77 | 1,420 | 0.91 | 5.44 |
| Annual | $44,840 | $49,880 | $62,590 | $63,670 | $64,780 | $57,770 | ||||
| Tennessee | Hourly | $17.19 | $18.52 | $20.65 | $23.78 | $27.79 | $21.78 | 1,290 | 0.39 | 2.35 |
| Annual | $35,760 | $38,520 | $42,950 | $49,470 | $57,800 | $45,300 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Duluth, MN-WI | Hourly | $29.45 | $39.48 | $40.53 | $40.55 | $41.54 | $38.79 | 60 | 0.47 | 2.83 |
| Annual | $61,260 | $82,120 | $84,310 | $84,340 | $86,400 | $80,680 | ||||
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | Hourly | $18.95 | $26.32 | $32.12 | $32.23 | $32.23 | $29.14 | 70 | 0.64 | 3.83 |
| Annual | $39,410 | $54,750 | $66,800 | $67,040 | $67,040 | $60,620 | ||||
| Corpus Christi, TX | Hourly | $17.55 | $26.20 | $31.99 | $33.18 | $33.18 | $28.24 | 40 | 0.18 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $36,500 | $54,500 | $66,540 | $69,010 | $69,010 | $58,740 | ||||
| Sandusky, OH | Hourly | $24.83 | $24.83 | $31.36 | $32.01 | $32.01 | $28.78 | 30 | 0.63 | 3.75 |
| Annual | $51,640 | $51,640 | $65,240 | $66,580 | $66,580 | $59,860 | ||||
| Cedar Rapids, IA | Hourly | $28.36 | $31.09 | $31.09 | $31.14 | $31.14 | $30.39 | 340 | 2.44 | 14.61 |
| Annual | $58,990 | $64,670 | $64,670 | $64,780 | $64,780 | $63,200 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $18.40 | $21.10 | $24.23 | $30.27 | $35.01 | $26.19 | 830 | 0.09 | 0.52 |
| Annual | $38,280 | $43,880 | $50,400 | $62,950 | $72,820 | $54,460 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.95 | $18.74 | $21.07 | $23.36 | $29.87 | $22.64 | 580 | 0.09 | 0.56 |
| Annual | $37,340 | $38,980 | $43,820 | $48,590 | $62,140 | $47,100 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $19.51 | $22.06 | $23.97 | $28.17 | $36.24 | $25.72 | 450 | 0.10 | 0.60 |
| Annual | $40,570 | $45,890 | $49,860 | $58,600 | $75,380 | $53,500 | ||||
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | Hourly | $17.85 | $20.00 | $21.39 | $26.93 | $34.89 | $23.75 | 390 | 0.23 | 1.36 |
| Annual | $37,130 | $41,600 | $44,500 | $56,020 | $72,580 | $49,390 | ||||
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | Hourly | $18.58 | $19.14 | $22.64 | $25.23 | $31.71 | $23.51 | 370 | 0.13 | 0.78 |
| Annual | $38,650 | $39,810 | $47,080 | $52,470 | $65,960 | $48,900 | ||||
Top industries employing crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing employ 17.8% of crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally (4,640 jobs) at a median $49,130 a year ($23.62 an hour), followed by Grain and Oilseed Milling (16.3%) and Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying (9.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing NAICS 327000 | 4,640 | 17.8% | $49,130 | $23.62 |
| Grain and Oilseed Milling NAICS 311200 | 4,250 | 16.3% | $57,990 | $27.88 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying NAICS 212300 | 2,570 | 9.9% | $58,070 | $27.92 |
| Animal Slaughtering and Processing NAICS 311600 | 1,120 | 4.3% | $42,450 | $20.41 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) NAICS 4230A1 | 980 | 3.8% | $42,680 | $20.52 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (26,000). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $38,760 for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders in May 2021 and $48,540 in May 2025, with employment of 31,800 and 26,000.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $38,760 | $18.63 | 31,800 |
| May 2022 | $43,290 | $20.81 | 27,320 |
| May 2023 | $44,510 | $21.40 | 26,210 |
| May 2024 | $46,890 | $22.54 | 28,550 |
| May 2025 | $48,540 | $23.34 | 26,000 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
47 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming profile | $34.28 | $71,300 | $50,350 | $110,270 | 170 | 0.60 | 3.60 |
| 2 | Alaska profile | $33.04 | $68,730 | $39,310 | $88,300 | 60 | 0.18 | 1.07 |
| 3 | Iowa profile | $30.09 | $62,590 | $44,840 | $64,780 | 1,420 | 0.91 | 5.44 |
| 4 | Nevada profile | $28.93 | $60,180 | $38,040 | $83,390 | 660 | 0.42 | 2.53 |
| 5 | Montana profile | $28.90 | $60,110 | $34,630 | $66,250 | 260 | 0.51 | 3.04 |
| 6 | Nebraska profile | $28.33 | $58,920 | $45,160 | $78,830 | 270 | 0.27 | 1.59 |
| 7 | Vermont profile | $28.31 | $58,890 | $47,700 | $75,980 | 160 | 0.53 | 3.15 |
| 8 | West Virginia profile | $28.25 | $58,760 | $38,220 | $68,760 | 160 | 0.23 | 1.36 |
| 9 | New York profile | $27.93 | $58,090 | $42,610 | $74,310 | 950 | 0.10 | 0.59 |
| 10 | Minnesota profile | $27.19 | $56,550 | $45,500 | $81,800 | 660 | 0.23 | 1.35 |
| 11 | Oregon profile | $26.73 | $55,600 | $39,750 | $76,040 | 490 | 0.25 | 1.50 |
| 12 | Wisconsin profile | $26.24 | $54,580 | $45,150 | $72,540 | 530 | 0.18 | 1.07 |
| 13 | Maine profile | $26.00 | $54,080 | $40,580 | $86,690 | 150 | 0.24 | 1.43 |
| 14 | Connecticut profile | $25.54 | $53,130 | $37,440 | $68,890 | 200 | 0.12 | 0.71 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania profile | $25.27 | $52,560 | $42,930 | $66,080 | 980 | 0.16 | 0.96 |
| 16 | Alabama profile | $24.96 | $51,920 | $24,230 | $77,090 | 610 | 0.29 | 1.74 |
| 17 | Utah profile | $24.89 | $51,770 | $40,590 | $99,360 | 260 | 0.15 | 0.88 |
| 18 | Idaho profile | $24.76 | $51,500 | $40,040 | $65,070 | 370 | 0.43 | 2.58 |
| 19 | Indiana profile | $24.59 | $51,150 | $37,190 | $70,200 | 920 | 0.29 | 1.72 |
| 20 | New Hampshire profile | $24.21 | $50,360 | $40,560 | $68,720 | 130 | 0.19 | 1.11 |
| 21 | Arizona profile | $24.17 | $50,270 | $39,700 | $60,100 | ** | ** | ** |
| 22 | Massachusetts profile | $24.09 | $50,110 | $43,110 | $62,640 | 370 | 0.10 | 0.61 |
| 23 | North Dakota profile | $23.69 | $49,280 | $36,260 | $73,920 | 310 | 0.73 | 4.35 |
| 24 | Missouri profile | $23.48 | $48,840 | $36,310 | $67,680 | 750 | 0.26 | 1.52 |
| 25 | Kansas profile | $23.35 | $48,570 | $33,330 | $68,450 | 470 | 0.32 | 1.94 |
| 26 | South Dakota profile | $23.24 | $48,330 | $35,530 | $63,840 | 120 | 0.27 | 1.59 |
| 27 | Illinois profile | $23.22 | $48,290 | $34,630 | $72,710 | 710 | 0.12 | 0.70 |
| 28 | Washington profile | $23.09 | $48,020 | $39,550 | $79,340 | 470 | 0.13 | 0.79 |
| 29 | Colorado profile | $22.57 | $46,950 | $39,210 | $64,590 | 520 | 0.18 | 1.08 |
| 30 | Florida profile | $22.57 | $46,950 | $36,520 | $69,100 | 520 | 0.05 | 0.31 |
| 31 | New Jersey profile | $22.45 | $46,690 | $35,600 | $66,500 | 560 | 0.13 | 0.78 |
| 32 | Michigan profile | $22.36 | $46,500 | $36,120 | $68,490 | 670 | 0.15 | 0.91 |
| 33 | North Carolina profile | $22.25 | $46,270 | $35,970 | $61,790 | 560 | 0.11 | 0.68 |
| 34 | Georgia profile | $22.08 | $45,920 | $36,080 | $70,200 | 800 | 0.16 | 0.98 |
| 35 | California profile | $22.05 | $45,870 | $37,340 | $72,580 | 2,370 | 0.13 | 0.78 |
| 36 | New Mexico profile | $22.00 | $45,760 | $34,750 | $59,670 | 170 | 0.20 | 1.17 |
| 37 | Virginia profile | $21.90 | $45,560 | $31,940 | $61,750 | 530 | 0.13 | 0.77 |
| 38 | South Carolina profile | $21.77 | $45,280 | $34,350 | $63,490 | 330 | 0.14 | 0.86 |
| 39 | Texas profile | $21.68 | $45,090 | $32,760 | $58,260 | 1,440 | 0.10 | 0.61 |
| 40 | Louisiana profile | $21.59 | $44,900 | $28,690 | $59,500 | 200 | 0.11 | 0.63 |
| 41 | Ohio profile | $21.08 | $43,850 | $35,910 | $64,110 | 1,590 | 0.29 | 1.72 |
| 42 | Tennessee profile | $20.65 | $42,950 | $35,760 | $57,800 | 1,290 | 0.39 | 2.35 |
| 43 | Kentucky profile | $20.44 | $42,520 | $34,340 | $60,280 | 200 | 0.10 | 0.58 |
| 44 | Maryland profile | $20.33 | $42,280 | $35,890 | $66,600 | 140 | 0.05 | 0.30 |
| 45 | Arkansas profile | $18.71 | $38,910 | $32,470 | $50,540 | 520 | 0.40 | 2.40 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $18.45 | $38,380 | $33,880 | $63,520 | 390 | 0.23 | 1.36 |
| 47 | Mississippi profile | $17.99 | $37,420 | $31,090 | $51,880 | 170 | 0.15 | 0.88 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-9020), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-9021 Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-9021, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9021.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.