51
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is a notable career in the 51 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
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Personal Service Managers, All Other
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Managers, All Other
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Buyers and Purchasing Agents
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Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 51-4033 |
| title | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic |
| onet code | 51-4033.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 51 |
| tot emp | 70,110 |
| a mean | 46,600 |
| a median | 45,190 |
| a pct10 | 34,980 |
| a pct25 | 38,420 |
| a pct75 | 51,380 |
| a pct90 | 61,550 |
| h mean | 22 |
| h median | 21 |
The day-to-day work of a grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic typically centers on inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, and Quality Control Analysis. Across the top 9 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.30 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (80.1%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in Missouri at $58,920 and lowest in Delaware at $32,390 — a 1.8× spread. The top five states (Missouri, Oregon, Minnesota, Vermont, Massachusetts) average $51,560. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | $58,920 | $53,880 | $36,560 | $65,810 | 1,480 |
| Oregon | $51,850 | $57,080 | $40,340 | $72,990 | 1,160 |
| Minnesota | $49,180 | $51,460 | $38,900 | $63,970 | 1,490 |
| Vermont | $49,160 | $48,440 | $36,070 | $60,520 | 220 |
| Massachusetts | $48,690 | $52,630 | $40,320 | $76,160 | 2,330 |
| South Carolina | $48,210 | $49,130 | $37,810 | $62,100 | 2,020 |
| Washington | $47,550 | $51,110 | $38,550 | $66,730 | 2,080 |
| Connecticut | $47,480 | $48,180 | $34,330 | $63,010 | 1,520 |
| North Carolina | $47,470 | $46,890 | $34,660 | $58,560 | 1,820 |
| Nebraska | $46,730 | $45,900 | $35,910 | $60,270 | 160 |
| Idaho | $46,690 | $45,740 | $35,770 | $58,590 | 190 |
| Wisconsin | $46,570 | $47,010 | $35,430 | $59,990 | 3,430 |
| Maine | $46,420 | $49,140 | $38,710 | $64,870 | 210 |
| North Dakota | $46,170 | $46,720 | $42,390 | $52,720 | 50 |
| Illinois | $45,970 | $47,140 | $36,740 | $60,420 | 5,100 |
| New York | $45,910 | $48,940 | $35,830 | $66,210 | 2,320 |
| California | $45,640 | $47,900 | $36,330 | $63,040 | 7,800 |
| Pennsylvania | $45,550 | $47,530 | $35,880 | $61,960 | 4,280 |
| Colorado | $45,460 | $47,730 | $38,120 | $60,680 | 720 |
| Wyoming | $45,450 | $47,670 | $44,130 | $54,880 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $45,380 | $45,040 | $34,470 | $53,350 | 920 |
| Virginia | $45,330 | $44,160 | $33,470 | $52,350 | 550 |
| Iowa | $44,920 | $47,080 | $37,770 | $68,400 | 1,200 |
| Indiana | $44,610 | $46,020 | $35,440 | $61,870 | 4,590 |
| New Hampshire | $44,460 | $46,270 | $36,560 | $59,710 | 590 |
| Arizona | $44,120 | $47,150 | $36,050 | $66,200 | 820 |
| Georgia | $43,930 | $44,850 | $35,020 | $58,630 | 1,120 |
| Louisiana | $42,990 | $44,530 | $35,670 | $59,120 | 130 |
| Utah | $42,920 | $44,350 | $33,830 | $56,330 | 490 |
| Michigan | $41,600 | $44,580 | $35,110 | $58,510 | 4,670 |
| Kentucky | $41,450 | $44,370 | $34,480 | $55,490 | 660 |
| Ohio | $41,420 | $44,100 | $34,360 | $58,420 | 5,760 |
| Mississippi | $41,410 | $45,140 | $30,700 | $61,620 | 480 |
| Nevada | $40,960 | $43,230 | $32,790 | $58,760 | 150 |
| Rhode Island | $40,600 | $44,960 | $32,790 | $65,360 | 200 |
| Kansas | $40,500 | $42,850 | $32,010 | $53,060 | 810 |
| Maryland | $40,330 | $43,340 | $31,200 | $55,610 | 140 |
| South Dakota | $40,190 | $39,940 | $30,710 | $51,540 | 130 |
| Oklahoma | $39,690 | $41,230 | $30,290 | $52,550 | 720 |
| Arkansas | $39,450 | $42,750 | $32,150 | $55,410 | 530 |
| Texas | $39,000 | $40,560 | $28,270 | $52,430 | 3,050 |
| Alabama | $38,910 | $41,470 | $32,210 | $50,040 | 1,580 |
| Florida | $38,710 | $40,240 | $32,180 | $50,370 | 1,000 |
| New Jersey | $38,190 | $40,800 | $31,470 | $51,680 | 930 |
| Montana | $38,090 | $41,390 | $31,180 | $53,760 | 160 |
| West Virginia | $37,490 | $41,500 | $28,570 | $57,220 | 190 |
| New Mexico | $36,800 | $39,350 | $31,180 | $51,270 | 40 |
| Delaware | $32,390 | $37,250 | $31,800 | $51,240 | 90 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Abrasive Worker or Air Grinder frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic compares to others in the 51 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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