Career profile · 51-4033
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.
What the work can involve
- Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
- Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
- Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
- Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
- Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications.
- Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Speaking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- Mathematics
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Contact With Others | Constant contact with others | 55.6%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Contaminants | Every day | 71.9%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 98.1%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 77.7%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Never | 45.5%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Standing | Continually or almost continually | 49.2%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Continually or almost continually | 87.0%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Time Pressure | Never | 30.6%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Every day | 88.5%08/2026 · sample 21 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 89.0%08/2026 · sample 21 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software
- Industrial control software: Mazak Mazatrol SMART CNC
- Inventory management software: Manufacturing reporting system
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 48 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $38,170 | $18.35 | 1,500 |
| Arizona | $44,990 | $21.63 | 670 |
| Arkansas | $39,590 | $19.03 | 340 |
| California | $45,890 | $22.06 | 7,800 |
| Colorado | $46,120 | $22.17 | 500 |
| Connecticut | $48,590 | $23.36 | 1,530 |
| Delaware | $44,390 | $21.34 | 50 |
| Florida | $40,310 | $19.38 | 1,020 |
| Georgia | $45,850 | $22.04 | 940 |
| Idaho | $45,980 | $22.11 | 170 |
| Illinois | $46,180 | $22.20 | 4,100 |
| Indiana | $47,310 | $22.74 | 4,170 |
| Iowa | $46,380 | $22.30 | 890 |
| Kansas | $42,710 | $20.53 | 1,010 |
| Kentucky | $49,160 | $23.63 | 850 |
| Louisiana | $38,650 | $18.58 | 160 |
| Maine | $47,230 | $22.71 | 170 |
| Maryland | $43,530 | $20.93 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $50,910 | $24.48 | 2,420 |
| Michigan | $45,460 | $21.85 | 4,180 |
| Minnesota | $51,780 | $24.90 | 1,400 |
| Mississippi | $42,660 | $20.51 | 430 |
| Missouri | $46,270 | $22.25 | 1,210 |
| Montana | $41,740 | $20.07 | 160 |
| Nebraska | $48,500 | $23.32 | 300 |
| Nevada | $46,140 | $22.18 | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $46,580 | $22.40 | 600 |
| New Jersey | $44,450 | $21.37 | 860 |
| New Mexico | $38,020 | $18.28 | 30 |
| New York | $49,290 | $23.70 | 2,410 |
| North Carolina | $47,770 | $22.97 | 1,610 |
| North Dakota | $47,670 | $22.92 | Not published |
| Ohio | $45,270 | $21.76 | 5,960 |
| Oklahoma | $38,570 | $18.54 | 870 |
| Oregon | $57,290 | $27.54 | 1,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,650 | $22.91 | 3,830 |
| Rhode Island | $43,650 | $20.99 | 140 |
| South Carolina | $48,040 | $23.10 | 1,730 |
| South Dakota | $39,060 | $18.78 | 130 |
| Tennessee | $44,710 | $21.50 | 1,340 |
| Texas | $42,250 | $20.31 | 2,960 |
| Utah | $44,320 | $21.31 | 400 |
| Vermont | $50,640 | $24.35 | 300 |
| Virginia | $43,170 | $20.76 | 620 |
| Washington | $49,300 | $23.70 | 1,870 |
| West Virginia | $49,950 | $24.02 | 200 |
| Wisconsin | $47,330 | $22.76 | 3,570 |
| Wyoming | $46,800 | $22.50 | 30 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 257 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Related occupations to compare
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators→
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Drilling and Boring Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic→
- Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic→
Related through shared training-subject mappings. Entry requirements can differ substantially.
Sources and attribution
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 51-4033.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.