Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic salary by state
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic is a professional role in the Production job family, focused on Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic work. Pay for this title reflects both its level and its scope; see our Title Level and Organization Responsibility guides for how WePayFairly defines them.
What Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastics do
Typical education: High School Diploma
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.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlQuality Control AnalysisReading ComprehensionMonitoringTroubleshooting
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic salary by industry
Sectors 31, 32, and 33 – Manufacturing
64,320 workers
$50,000
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
1,280 workers
$41,000
Wholesale Trade
720 workers
$46,000
Construction
80 workers
$50,500
Sectors 48 and 49 – Transportation and Warehousing
70 workers
$50,000
Sectors 44 and 45 – Retail Trade
40 workers
$44,000
Management of Companies and Enterprises$56,000
Health Care and Social Assistance$39,500
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
How this role compares
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic pays 9% below the average across 105 roles in the Production job family (family average $55,000).
How much does a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic make?
The average base salary for a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, & Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, & Tenders, Metal & Plastic in the United States is $50,000 per year, or about $24.04 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $41,000 and $56,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Production roles?
The Production job family averages $55,000 across 105 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
