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.
- Median pay
- $46,550
- Doing it now
- 68,500
- By 2035
- Down 10.8%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
a year
across the country
4,500 openings a year
to get in
What the work involves
- Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
- Lift and position workpieces, manually or with hoists, and secure them in hoppers or on machine tables, faceplates, or chucks, using clamps.
- 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.
- Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
- Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
- Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
- Select machine tooling to be used, using knowledge of machine and production requirements.
What to study
The fields of study the Department of Education links to this occupation, most widely taught first.
- Precision Metal WorkingSee 4 colleges that teach it
Who it suits
O*NET scores every occupation on six interest dimensions. This one leans hardest on these three.
Hands-on and practical
Organised and precise
Analytical and curious
Careers like this one
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,330
- Sheet Metal Workers$61,800
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,180
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,720
- Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters$51,330
Where this comes from: the description and the task list are O*NET, which the Department of Labor maintains. Pay, workforce size, outlook and the education normally needed are the Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections programme, 2025 wages and 2025 to 2035 projections. Half of them earn more than $46,550 a year, which means half earn less, and what you would earn depends on where you work and how long you have been doing it. The fields of study come from the National Center for Education Statistics crosswalk.