Home / Career Explorer / Production

Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

	Median Wage (USD, 2025)	Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)	Projected Growth (2025-2035)
National Statistics	$46550	5500	-12.0%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$46550

Median Wage (USD, 2025)

5500

Projected Job Openings (2025-2035)

-12.0%

Projected Growth (2025-2035)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-the-Job Training: Over 3 months, up to and including 6 months

Detailed Work Activities

Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
Lift materials or workpieces using cranes or other lifting equipment.
Operate grinding equipment.
Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
Lay out parts to prepare for assembly.
Select production equipment according to product specifications.
Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Reshape metal workpieces to established specifications.
Operate cutting equipment.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate coolant flow.
Apply lubricants or coolants to workpieces.
Calculate dimensions of workpieces, products, or equipment.
Set equipment guides, stops, spacers, or other fixtures.
Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Replace worn equipment components.
Repair production equipment or tools.
Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

Tasks

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.
Lift and position workpieces, manually or with hoists, and secure them in hoppers or on machine tables, faceplates, or chucks, using clamps.
Move machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings.
Select machine tooling to be used, using knowledge of machine and production requirements.
Mount and position tools in machine chucks, spindles, or other tool holding devices, using hand tools.
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.
Compute machine indexings and settings for specified dimensions and base reference points.
Repair or replace machine parts, using hand tools, or notify engineering personnel when corrective action is required.
Brush or spray lubricating compounds on workpieces, or turn valve handles and direct flow of coolant against tools and workpieces.
Maintain stocks of machine parts and machining tools.
Adjust air cylinders and setting stops to set traverse lengths and feed arm strokes.
Slide spacers between buffs on spindles to set spacing.
Thread and hand-feed materials through machine cutters or abraders.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: 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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Session has been expired