Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4033) earn a median $46,550 a year ($22.38 an hour) in the United States, with 67,000 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Oregon.
What grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool operators remove excess material, burrs, or rough surfaces from metal and plastic parts, put an edge on them, or give them a smooth or reflective finish. The equipment covers grinding, lapping, honing, and buffing machines. The worker reads blueprints or machining instructions to learn the finish and size required, selects the abrasive wheel or tool, mounts the part, and sets the machine controls, sometimes indexing the part to a series of positions. Throughout the cycle they watch the operation for problems and adjust as needed, and they lay out work with precision measuring devices. Finished workpieces are inspected or measured with gauges or micrometers to confirm they meet specifications. Tools are mounted and positioned in chucks, spindles, or other holders with hand tools.
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 Worker, Air Grinder, Aluminum Polisher, Automatic Grinder Operator, Axle Bearing Polisher.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.36 | $18.94 | $22.38 | $26.10 | $30.10 | $23.16 | 67,000 |
| Annual | $36,110 | $39,390 | $46,550 | $54,290 | $62,600 | $48,170 | ||
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, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic 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 | ||||||
| Oregon | Hourly | $19.87 | $22.74 | $27.54 | $32.28 | $36.20 | $28.14 | 1,180 | 0.60 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $41,330 | $47,290 | $57,290 | $67,150 | $75,290 | $58,530 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $20.21 | $22.52 | $24.90 | $29.12 | $39.33 | $27.15 | 1,400 | 0.47 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $42,030 | $46,840 | $51,780 | $60,560 | $81,810 | $56,470 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $19.04 | $21.84 | $24.48 | $29.03 | $36.22 | $26.12 | 2,420 | 0.67 | 1.54 |
| Annual | $39,610 | $45,440 | $50,910 | $60,380 | $75,340 | $54,320 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $23.25 | $24.17 | $24.35 | $28.57 | $28.83 | $26.11 | 300 | 0.98 | 2.27 |
| Annual | $48,360 | $50,280 | $50,640 | $59,420 | $59,960 | $54,310 | ||||
| West Virginia | Hourly | $15.45 | $18.15 | $24.02 | $28.02 | $33.54 | $23.51 | 200 | 0.29 | 0.68 |
| Annual | $32,130 | $37,750 | $49,950 | $58,270 | $69,760 | $48,900 | ||||
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 | $17.55 | $18.96 | $22.06 | $25.87 | $30.11 | $23.29 | 7,800 | 0.43 | 0.99 |
| Annual | $36,510 | $39,440 | $45,890 | $53,820 | $62,630 | $48,450 | ||||
| Ohio | Hourly | $17.18 | $18.50 | $21.76 | $25.00 | $30.59 | $22.63 | 5,960 | 1.07 | 2.49 |
| Annual | $35,730 | $38,480 | $45,270 | $52,000 | $63,620 | $47,070 | ||||
| Michigan | Hourly | $17.24 | $18.37 | $21.85 | $27.00 | $28.89 | $22.51 | 4,180 | 0.95 | 2.20 |
| Annual | $35,850 | $38,210 | $45,460 | $56,160 | $60,090 | $46,830 | ||||
| Indiana | Hourly | $18.65 | $20.54 | $22.74 | $24.54 | $29.50 | $23.40 | 4,170 | 1.30 | 3.02 |
| Annual | $38,790 | $42,730 | $47,310 | $51,030 | $61,360 | $48,670 | ||||
| Illinois | Hourly | $18.04 | $19.32 | $22.20 | $25.96 | $30.48 | $23.44 | 4,100 | 0.67 | 1.56 |
| Annual | $37,530 | $40,190 | $46,180 | $54,000 | $63,400 | $48,750 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Canton-Massillon, OH | Hourly | $17.69 | $21.31 | $32.31 | $32.31 | $32.31 | $27.69 | 350 | 2.14 | 4.98 |
| Annual | $36,800 | $44,330 | $67,210 | $67,210 | $67,210 | $57,590 | ||||
| Bend, OR | Hourly | $21.86 | $23.79 | $28.93 | $31.65 | $31.65 | $27.69 | 40 | 0.41 | 0.94 |
| Annual | $45,460 | $49,490 | $60,180 | $65,830 | $65,830 | $57,600 | ||||
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | Hourly | $15.97 | $19.79 | $28.73 | $28.73 | $28.73 | $24.92 | 460 | 7.31 | 16.96 |
| Annual | $33,230 | $41,160 | $59,750 | $59,750 | $59,750 | $51,830 | ||||
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | Hourly | $21.11 | $22.83 | $28.21 | $33.15 | $36.20 | $28.57 | 930 | 0.77 | 1.78 |
| Annual | $43,910 | $47,490 | $58,680 | $68,950 | $75,290 | $59,420 | ||||
| Utica-Rome, NY | Hourly | $18.99 | $22.50 | $27.61 | $33.86 | $37.36 | $27.83 | 130 | 1.12 | 2.61 |
| Annual | $39,510 | $46,800 | $57,420 | $70,420 | $77,710 | $57,880 | ||||
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 | $17.21 | $18.64 | $21.85 | $26.50 | $30.37 | $23.23 | 3,920 | 0.63 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $35,790 | $38,760 | $45,440 | $55,130 | $63,170 | $48,320 | ||||
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | Hourly | $18.13 | $19.62 | $22.32 | $26.97 | $34.12 | $23.91 | 3,110 | 0.69 | 1.60 |
| Annual | $37,720 | $40,810 | $46,420 | $56,100 | $70,970 | $49,720 | ||||
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | Hourly | $19.53 | $22.16 | $24.56 | $29.03 | $36.22 | $26.54 | 1,630 | 0.60 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $40,630 | $46,100 | $51,070 | $60,380 | $75,340 | $55,210 | ||||
| Cleveland, OH | Hourly | $17.07 | $18.50 | $21.85 | $23.53 | $29.88 | $22.33 | 1,620 | 1.58 | 3.65 |
| Annual | $35,510 | $38,480 | $45,440 | $48,950 | $62,150 | $46,450 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $13.69 | $17.54 | $20.81 | $22.25 | $24.85 | $20.23 | 1,290 | 0.39 | 0.91 |
| Annual | $28,480 | $36,480 | $43,280 | $46,290 | $51,680 | $42,090 | ||||
Top industries employing grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) employ 14.5% of grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic nationally (9,720 jobs) at a median $47,160 a year ($22.67 an hour), followed by Foundries (13.2%) and Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (12.1%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) NAICS 3320A1 | 9,720 | 14.5% | $47,160 | $22.67 |
| Foundries NAICS 331500 | 8,840 | 13.2% | $45,670 | $21.96 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing NAICS 332700 | 8,110 | 12.1% | $45,300 | $21.78 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing NAICS 336400 | 4,590 | 6.9% | $51,260 | $24.65 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) NAICS 3320A2 | 4,060 | 6.1% | $44,260 | $21.28 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (67,000). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,550 for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in May 2021 and $46,550 in May 2025, with employment of 67,750 and 67,000.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,550 | $18.05 | 67,750 |
| May 2022 | $38,910 | $18.71 | 73,800 |
| May 2023 | $42,610 | $20.48 | 75,260 |
| May 2024 | $45,190 | $21.73 | 70,110 |
| May 2025 | $46,550 | $22.38 | 67,000 |
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
48 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 | Oregon profile | $27.54 | $57,290 | $41,330 | $75,290 | 1,180 | 0.60 | 1.40 |
| 2 | Minnesota profile | $24.90 | $51,780 | $42,030 | $81,810 | 1,400 | 0.47 | 1.10 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $24.48 | $50,910 | $39,610 | $75,340 | 2,420 | 0.67 | 1.54 |
| 4 | Vermont profile | $24.35 | $50,640 | $48,360 | $59,960 | 300 | 0.98 | 2.27 |
| 5 | West Virginia profile | $24.02 | $49,950 | $32,130 | $69,760 | 200 | 0.29 | 0.68 |
| 6 | Washington profile | $23.70 | $49,300 | $38,630 | $70,320 | 1,870 | 0.53 | 1.22 |
| 7 | New York profile | $23.70 | $49,290 | $37,300 | $73,220 | 2,410 | 0.25 | 0.58 |
| 8 | Kentucky profile | $23.63 | $49,160 | $37,260 | $73,540 | 850 | 0.43 | 0.99 |
| 9 | Connecticut profile | $23.36 | $48,590 | $36,470 | $63,510 | 1,530 | 0.90 | 2.09 |
| 10 | Nebraska profile | $23.32 | $48,500 | $33,280 | $59,510 | 300 | 0.29 | 0.67 |
| 11 | South Carolina profile | $23.10 | $48,040 | $38,540 | $60,050 | 1,730 | 0.75 | 1.74 |
| 12 | North Carolina profile | $22.97 | $47,770 | $34,690 | $58,950 | 1,610 | 0.33 | 0.76 |
| 13 | North Dakota profile | $22.92 | $47,670 | $47,200 | $65,530 | ** | ** | ** |
| 14 | Pennsylvania profile | $22.91 | $47,650 | $36,540 | $60,040 | 3,830 | 0.63 | 1.47 |
| 15 | Wisconsin profile | $22.76 | $47,330 | $37,030 | $60,540 | 3,570 | 1.21 | 2.82 |
| 16 | Indiana profile | $22.74 | $47,310 | $38,790 | $61,360 | 4,170 | 1.30 | 3.02 |
| 17 | Maine profile | $22.71 | $47,230 | $37,780 | $56,630 | 170 | 0.27 | 0.62 |
| 18 | Wyoming profile | $22.50 | $46,800 | $44,830 | $55,710 | 30 | 0.12 | 0.28 |
| 19 | New Hampshire profile | $22.40 | $46,580 | $38,730 | $60,020 | 600 | 0.87 | 2.03 |
| 20 | Iowa profile | $22.30 | $46,380 | $38,330 | $70,410 | 890 | 0.57 | 1.32 |
| 21 | Missouri profile | $22.25 | $46,270 | $37,140 | $64,030 | 1,210 | 0.41 | 0.96 |
| 22 | Illinois profile | $22.20 | $46,180 | $37,530 | $63,400 | 4,100 | 0.67 | 1.56 |
| 23 | Nevada profile | $22.18 | $46,140 | $37,550 | $73,040 | 170 | 0.11 | 0.26 |
| 24 | Colorado profile | $22.17 | $46,120 | $37,960 | $58,460 | 500 | 0.17 | 0.40 |
| 25 | Idaho profile | $22.11 | $45,980 | $36,940 | $53,270 | 170 | 0.20 | 0.47 |
| 26 | California profile | $22.06 | $45,890 | $36,510 | $62,630 | 7,800 | 0.43 | 0.99 |
| 27 | Georgia profile | $22.04 | $45,850 | $36,950 | $60,530 | 940 | 0.19 | 0.45 |
| 28 | Michigan profile | $21.85 | $45,460 | $35,850 | $60,090 | 4,180 | 0.95 | 2.20 |
| 29 | Ohio profile | $21.76 | $45,270 | $35,730 | $63,620 | 5,960 | 1.07 | 2.49 |
| 30 | Arizona profile | $21.63 | $44,990 | $37,340 | $57,060 | 670 | 0.21 | 0.48 |
| 31 | Tennessee profile | $21.50 | $44,710 | $34,880 | $55,240 | 1,340 | 0.41 | 0.95 |
| 32 | New Jersey profile | $21.37 | $44,450 | $32,490 | $67,180 | 860 | 0.20 | 0.46 |
| 33 | Delaware profile | $21.34 | $44,390 | $35,700 | $54,200 | 50 | 0.11 | 0.25 |
| 34 | Utah profile | $21.31 | $44,320 | $34,950 | $56,250 | 400 | 0.23 | 0.54 |
| 35 | Rhode Island profile | $20.99 | $43,650 | $37,150 | $70,430 | 140 | 0.28 | 0.65 |
| 36 | Maryland profile | $20.93 | $43,530 | $31,560 | $54,100 | 160 | 0.06 | 0.14 |
| 37 | Virginia profile | $20.76 | $43,170 | $29,310 | $60,410 | 620 | 0.15 | 0.35 |
| 38 | Kansas profile | $20.53 | $42,710 | $35,520 | $49,980 | 1,010 | 0.71 | 1.64 |
| 39 | Mississippi profile | $20.51 | $42,660 | $30,440 | $63,620 | 430 | 0.37 | 0.86 |
| 40 | Texas profile | $20.31 | $42,250 | $29,380 | $52,260 | 2,960 | 0.21 | 0.49 |
| 41 | Montana profile | $20.07 | $41,740 | $34,590 | $53,580 | 160 | 0.31 | 0.71 |
| 42 | Florida profile | $19.38 | $40,310 | $34,790 | $56,670 | 1,020 | 0.10 | 0.24 |
| 43 | Arkansas profile | $19.03 | $39,590 | $33,690 | $50,490 | 340 | 0.26 | 0.61 |
| 44 | South Dakota profile | $18.78 | $39,060 | $31,710 | $51,200 | 130 | 0.28 | 0.66 |
| 45 | Louisiana profile | $18.58 | $38,650 | $30,790 | $55,500 | 160 | 0.08 | 0.19 |
| 46 | Oklahoma profile | $18.54 | $38,570 | $29,290 | $54,590 | 870 | 0.51 | 1.18 |
| 47 | Alabama profile | $18.35 | $38,170 | $29,340 | $56,180 | 1,500 | 0.71 | 1.65 |
| 48 | New Mexico profile | $18.28 | $38,020 | $32,220 | $49,400 | 30 | 0.04 | 0.09 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-4030), 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 51-4033 Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic.
**- 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 51-4033, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-4033.00, 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.