Skilled Trades
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 salary (BLS)
$46,550
10th–90th percentile (BLS)
$36k – $63k
Job outlook
No separate BLS projection for this specific role
AI exposure
Plan a path to Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Education
Typical entry: No degree required
Plan my path to this →Typical progression
Junior Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Entry / Junior
$36,110
~2 yrs to advance
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Established
$46,550
~3 yrs to advance
Senior Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Senior
$54,575
Key skills
A typical day
- •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.
Fields of study
Any field
Top colleges for Skilled Trades
Explore all- Purdue University50% admit · $78,000 grad pay
- Ohio State University53% admit · $68,000 grad pay
- Pennsylvania State University55% admit · $70,000 grad pay
Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.