Occupations · Production
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-4194.00
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 66% 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 | $50,060 | 270 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $91,850 | 240 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $61,360 | 200 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $50,350 | 180 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | $42,100 | 150 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $34,840 | 140 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $43,200 | 90 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $41,540 | 70 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $51,670 | 60 |
| Eugene, OR | $59,010 | 60 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $45,280 | 40 |
| Longview, WA | $72,570 | 40 |
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.
- Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.
- Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.
- Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.
- Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.
- Compute numbers, widths, and angles of cutting tools, micrometers, scales, and gauges, and adjust tools to produce specified cuts.
- Turn valves to direct flow of coolant against cutting wheels and workpieces during grinding.
- Set up and operate grinding or polishing machines to grind metal workpieces, such as dies, parts, and tools.
- Dress grinding wheels, according to specifications.
- File or finish surfaces of workpieces, using prescribed hand tools.
- Perform basic maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating machine parts.
- Remove finished workpieces from machines and place them in boxes or on racks, setting aside pieces that are defective.
- Fit parts together in pre-assembly to ensure that dimensions are accurate.
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. 1 entries that were only relabelled between releases are left out.
Now listed 4
No longer listed 1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| tool grinder | 7224.2 | exact |
| filing machine operator | 8122.9 | close |
| surface grinding machine operator | 8122.11 | close |
| cylindrical grinder operator | 8122.4 | close |
| grinding machine operator | 7223.4.2 | close |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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