Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand (SOC 51-9022) earn a median $42,660 a year ($20.51 an hour) in the United States, with 10,510 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Vermont.
What grinding and polishing workers, hand do
Hand grinders and polishers smooth, sand, and finish objects of metal, wood, stone, clay, plastic, and glass with hand tools or portable power tools. The SOC definition includes chippers, buffers, and finishers. Their jobs include grinding down rough spots, sanding to prepare surfaces for the next finishing step, buffing to a shine, and trimming, scraping, or deburring edges with chisels and scrapers. They may mark defects, such as cracks and knotholes, for repair, measure and mark objects to meet standards, and study blueprints or layouts to determine how to lay out workpieces or saw out templates. Finished work is checked by inspection, comparison with templates, and measurement. O*NET job titles such as burnisher, beveler, and barrel finisher show the range of work. Workpieces are loaded and adjusted on tables or equipment with hand tools. Operators of grinding machines rather than hand tools are classified in other codes.
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: Aircraft Skin Burnisher, Balance Wheel Arm Burnisher, Balance Wheel Hand Filer, Barrel Finisher, Beveler.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.09 | $18.00 | $20.51 | $24.03 | $29.23 | $21.64 | 10,510 |
| Annual | $33,480 | $37,450 | $42,660 | $49,980 | $60,810 | $45,020 | ||
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 grinding and polishing workers, hand 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 | ||||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $24.04 | $24.38 | $27.33 | $28.64 | $35.53 | $27.65 | 50 | 0.17 | 2.54 |
| Annual | $50,000 | $50,700 | $56,850 | $59,570 | $73,900 | $57,510 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $18.96 | $21.51 | $24.97 | $28.37 | $30.45 | $24.81 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.62 |
| Annual | $39,450 | $44,750 | $51,930 | $59,010 | $63,340 | $51,600 | ||||
| Rhode Island | Hourly | $16.72 | $23.33 | $24.82 | $24.82 | $31.26 | $24.30 | 130 | 0.25 | 3.71 |
| Annual | $34,790 | $48,530 | $51,630 | $51,630 | $65,020 | $50,550 | ||||
| Montana | Hourly | $21.18 | $22.93 | $24.26 | $24.38 | $24.38 | $23.52 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $44,060 | $47,700 | $50,460 | $50,700 | $50,700 | $48,910 | ||||
| Virginia | Hourly | $15.80 | $18.15 | $23.48 | $31.51 | $34.60 | $24.58 | 330 | 0.08 | 1.18 |
| Annual | $32,860 | $37,750 | $48,830 | $65,540 | $71,960 | $51,130 | ||||
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 | $17.33 | $18.52 | $21.37 | $24.53 | $31.11 | $22.43 | 1,850 | 0.10 | 1.50 |
| Annual | $36,050 | $38,520 | $44,450 | $51,020 | $64,710 | $46,650 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $13.67 | $16.28 | $18.35 | $19.68 | $23.74 | $18.57 | 840 | 0.06 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $28,430 | $33,860 | $38,170 | $40,920 | $49,370 | $38,620 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $16.74 | $17.90 | $21.36 | $25.39 | $29.08 | $22.36 | 650 | 0.15 | 2.17 |
| Annual | $34,820 | $37,240 | $44,430 | $52,810 | $60,490 | $46,500 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $16.63 | $17.06 | $18.66 | $21.96 | $24.78 | $19.91 | 620 | 0.20 | 2.88 |
| Annual | $34,590 | $35,480 | $38,810 | $45,670 | $51,540 | $41,400 | ||||
| Arizona | Hourly | $18.40 | $18.40 | $18.40 | $22.36 | $28.94 | $21.12 | 560 | 0.17 | 2.55 |
| Annual | $38,270 | $38,270 | $38,280 | $46,520 | $60,190 | $43,920 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | Hourly | $19.53 | $24.01 | $31.51 | $31.51 | $34.60 | $27.84 | 130 | 0.17 | 2.47 |
| Annual | $40,620 | $49,930 | $65,540 | $65,540 | $71,960 | $57,910 | ||||
| St. Louis, MO-IL | Hourly | $22.20 | $22.77 | $28.34 | $30.46 | $30.66 | $26.79 | 70 | 0.05 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $46,170 | $47,360 | $58,950 | $63,360 | $63,770 | $55,720 | ||||
| Madison, WI | Hourly | $18.01 | $19.19 | $27.00 | $27.11 | $27.12 | $24.18 | 60 | 0.14 | 2.12 |
| Annual | $37,450 | $39,920 | $56,160 | $56,400 | $56,400 | $50,300 | ||||
| Kansas City, MO-KS | Hourly | $21.56 | $23.31 | $25.78 | $28.87 | $36.08 | $26.66 | 60 | 0.06 | 0.83 |
| Annual | $44,850 | $48,490 | $53,620 | $60,060 | $75,040 | $55,460 | ||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $20.05 | $20.65 | $25.43 | $27.41 | $28.19 | $24.85 | 60 | 0.03 | 0.48 |
| Annual | $41,700 | $42,950 | $52,890 | $57,010 | $58,630 | $51,690 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $17.33 | $18.37 | $21.47 | $26.22 | $31.44 | $22.86 | 880 | 0.14 | 2.09 |
| Annual | $36,050 | $38,200 | $44,660 | $54,530 | $65,400 | $47,560 | ||||
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | Hourly | $18.40 | $18.40 | $18.40 | $22.36 | $28.94 | $21.15 | 490 | 0.21 | 3.07 |
| Annual | $38,270 | $38,270 | $38,280 | $46,520 | $60,190 | $43,990 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $19.29 | $21.76 | $24.52 | $29.80 | $39.47 | $27.43 | 450 | 0.05 | 0.70 |
| Annual | $40,110 | $45,260 | $51,000 | $61,970 | $82,110 | $57,060 | ||||
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | Hourly | $17.67 | $18.67 | $22.58 | $25.94 | $29.08 | $23.28 | 280 | 0.15 | 2.15 |
| Annual | $36,740 | $38,830 | $46,960 | $53,950 | $60,490 | $48,420 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $12.86 | $16.13 | $18.71 | $18.75 | $21.47 | $17.82 | 210 | 0.06 | 0.92 |
| Annual | $26,760 | $33,550 | $38,920 | $39,010 | $44,660 | $37,060 | ||||
Top industries employing grinding and polishing workers, hand
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing employ 11.4% of grinding and polishing workers, hand nationally (1,200 jobs) at a median $45,650 a year ($21.95 an hour), followed by Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing (10.4%) and Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) (7.2%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing NAICS 327000 | 1,200 | 11.4% | $45,650 | $21.95 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing NAICS 339900 | 1,090 | 10.4% | $40,250 | $19.35 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) NAICS 3370A1 | 760 | 7.2% | $38,020 | $18.28 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing NAICS 332700 | 670 | 6.4% | $46,480 | $22.34 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing NAICS 326100 | 560 | 5.3% | $40,990 | $19.71 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (10,510). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $35,670 for grinding and polishing workers, hand in May 2021 and $42,660 in May 2025, with employment of 15,680 and 10,510.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $35,670 | $17.15 | 15,680 |
| May 2022 | $36,960 | $17.77 | 14,190 |
| May 2023 | $38,940 | $18.72 | 12,290 |
| May 2024 | $41,690 | $20.04 | 11,850 |
| May 2025 | $42,660 | $20.51 | 10,510 |
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
40 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 | Vermont profile | $27.33 | $56,850 | $50,000 | $73,900 | 50 | 0.17 | 2.54 |
| 2 | Minnesota profile | $24.97 | $51,930 | $39,450 | $63,340 | 120 | 0.04 | 0.62 |
| 3 | Rhode Island profile | $24.82 | $51,630 | $34,790 | $65,020 | 130 | 0.25 | 3.71 |
| 4 | Montana profile | $24.26 | $50,460 | $44,060 | $50,700 | ** | ** | ** |
| 5 | Virginia profile | $23.48 | $48,830 | $32,860 | $71,960 | 330 | 0.08 | 1.18 |
| 6 | Connecticut profile | $23.40 | $48,670 | $40,270 | $63,450 | 230 | 0.13 | 1.98 |
| 7 | Kansas profile | $23.28 | $48,410 | $32,650 | $68,640 | 100 | 0.07 | 0.99 |
| 8 | Maryland profile | $23.27 | $48,390 | $37,630 | $56,190 | ** | ** | ** |
| 9 | New Hampshire profile | $23.04 | $47,920 | $42,950 | $62,230 | 40 | 0.05 | 0.80 |
| 10 | New Jersey profile | $23.00 | $47,840 | $35,380 | $61,900 | 300 | 0.07 | 1.03 |
| 11 | Wisconsin profile | $22.98 | $47,790 | $35,740 | $57,400 | 290 | 0.10 | 1.46 |
| 12 | Delaware profile | $22.97 | $47,780 | $31,200 | $56,830 | 40 | 0.08 | 1.16 |
| 13 | Missouri profile | $22.77 | $47,360 | $44,760 | $63,360 | 180 | 0.06 | 0.89 |
| 14 | Washington profile | $22.74 | $47,290 | $36,470 | $66,330 | 90 | 0.02 | 0.36 |
| 15 | Iowa profile | $22.73 | $47,280 | $39,300 | $50,600 | ** | ** | ** |
| 16 | New York profile | $22.71 | $47,240 | $38,220 | $82,160 | 440 | 0.05 | 0.67 |
| 17 | South Carolina profile | $21.97 | $45,710 | $33,100 | $60,270 | 260 | 0.11 | 1.69 |
| 18 | Nevada profile | $21.79 | $45,310 | $38,100 | $65,200 | 90 | 0.06 | 0.88 |
| 19 | California profile | $21.37 | $44,450 | $36,050 | $64,710 | 1,850 | 0.10 | 1.50 |
| 20 | Michigan profile | $21.36 | $44,430 | $34,820 | $60,490 | 650 | 0.15 | 2.17 |
| 21 | Massachusetts profile | $20.53 | $42,700 | $37,580 | $63,140 | 170 | 0.05 | 0.67 |
| 22 | Oregon profile | $20.38 | $42,380 | $38,030 | $64,540 | 160 | 0.08 | 1.21 |
| 23 | Georgia profile | $19.55 | $40,660 | $31,060 | $63,560 | 220 | 0.04 | 0.65 |
| 24 | Colorado profile | $19.52 | $40,600 | $36,540 | $57,250 | 70 | 0.03 | 0.38 |
| 25 | Pennsylvania profile | $19.47 | $40,510 | $31,680 | $54,000 | 140 | 0.02 | 0.35 |
| 26 | Ohio profile | $19.38 | $40,310 | $31,720 | $58,260 | 490 | 0.09 | 1.31 |
| 27 | Mississippi profile | $19.37 | $40,280 | $31,150 | $44,560 | 30 | 0.03 | 0.41 |
| 28 | West Virginia profile | $19.17 | $39,870 | $39,140 | $53,290 | ** | ** | ** |
| 29 | Florida profile | $18.98 | $39,480 | $31,730 | $49,380 | 510 | 0.05 | 0.77 |
| 30 | Arkansas profile | $18.73 | $38,960 | $34,640 | $53,920 | 140 | 0.11 | 1.56 |
| 31 | Indiana profile | $18.66 | $38,810 | $34,590 | $51,540 | 620 | 0.20 | 2.88 |
| 32 | Oklahoma profile | $18.43 | $38,340 | $32,380 | $48,080 | 160 | 0.10 | 1.41 |
| 33 | Arizona profile | $18.40 | $38,280 | $38,270 | $60,190 | 560 | 0.17 | 2.55 |
| 34 | Texas profile | $18.35 | $38,170 | $28,430 | $49,370 | 840 | 0.06 | 0.88 |
| 35 | North Carolina profile | $18.08 | $37,600 | $31,200 | $58,260 | 330 | 0.07 | 0.99 |
| 36 | Illinois profile | $17.59 | $36,590 | $33,280 | $38,160 | 60 | 0.01 | 0.15 |
| 37 | Alabama profile | $17.12 | $35,620 | $26,420 | $50,280 | 150 | 0.07 | 1.07 |
| 38 | Tennessee profile | $16.26 | $33,830 | $27,040 | $41,740 | 80 | 0.02 | 0.34 |
| 39 | Louisiana profile | $15.94 | $33,160 | $27,650 | $40,160 | 90 | 0.05 | 0.69 |
| 40 | New Mexico profile | $13.77 | $28,640 | $26,460 | $40,940 | 120 | 0.14 | 2.03 |
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 51-9022 Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand.
**- 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 51-9022, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-9022.00, 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.