Occupations · Production
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-4033.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 70% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $45,730 | 3,930 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $45,140 | 3,380 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $45,250 | 1,590 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $49,120 | 1,590 |
| Cleveland, OH | $42,410 | 1,420 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $49,470 | 1,250 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $45,760 | 1,210 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $39,910 | 1,200 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $58,920 | 1,100 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $49,590 | 1,030 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI | $48,160 | 1,010 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $46,420 | 950 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
- Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
- Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
- Move machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings.
- Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.
- Select machine tooling to be used, using knowledge of machine and production requirements.
- Compute machine indexings and settings for specified dimensions and base reference points.
- Mount and position tools in machine chucks, spindles, or other tool holding devices, using hand tools.
- Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
- Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic workpieces.
- Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications.
- Brush or spray lubricating compounds on workpieces, or turn valve handles and direct flow of coolant against tools and workpieces.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2016-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2016-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning. 2 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 3
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| wood sander | 7523.5 | close |
| cylindrical grinder operator | 8122.4 | broader |
| grinding machine operator | 7223.4.2 | broader |
| tool grinder | 7224.2 | broader |
| surface grinding machine operator | 8122.11 | broader |
| metal polisher | 7224.1 | broader |
| deburring machine operator | 8122.5 | broader |
| filing machine operator | 8122.9 | broader |
| abrasive blasting operator | 8122.1 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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