Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9021

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Median pay sits 35% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Gas Plant Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Tool and Die Makers, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: Gas Plant Operators ($88K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Tool and Die Makers ($64K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9021 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions
  2. 2. Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools
  3. 3. Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes
  4. 4. Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials
  5. 5. Notify supervisors of needed repairs
  6. 6. Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements
  7. 7. Test samples of materials or products to ensure compliance with specifications, using test equipment
  8. 8. Mark bins as to types of mixtures stored
  9. 9. Transfer materials, supplies, and products between work areas, using moving equipment and hand tools
  10. 10. Add or mix chemicals and ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices
  11. 11. Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms
  12. 12. Collect samples of materials or products for laboratory testing

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9021 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Administration and Management. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.9
  2. 2. Operation and Control 3.9
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.1
  4. 4. Quality Control Analysis 3.1
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  6. 6. Active Listening 3.0
  7. 7. Speaking 3.0
  8. 8. Coordination 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Administration and Management 3.5
  2. 2. Production and Processing 3.4
  3. 3. English Language 3.2
  4. 4. Education and Training 3.2
  5. 5. Public Safety and Security 3.0
  6. 6. Mathematics 3.0
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-35%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $48,540/yr
$49K
National median
↓ -3%
Growth 2024-2034
2,700
Annual openings
26,000
Estimated US jobs
Gas Plant Operators
Highest-pay peer · $88K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

1. Nebraska $58,920
2. Minnesota $56,550
3. New York $58,090
4. Montana $60,110
5. Nevada $60,180
6. Vermont $58,890
7. Iowa $62,590
8. Wyoming $71,300
9. West Virginia $58,760
10. Alaska $68,730

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  2. 2. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  3. 3. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  4. 4. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  5. 5. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  6. 6. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits 35% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $48,540.

Employment Projections expect -3% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,700 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Nebraska at $58,920. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Gas Plant Operators at $87,820. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay-rank #45 in Production Occupations

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits at pay-rank #45 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pays 35% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9021

Nebraska · top state for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$59K published median

Minnesota · #2 state pay

$57K · behind Nebraska

Gas Plant Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · $88K

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

Lower-pay peer beside Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · $63K

Compare Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Against another occupation

Gas Plant Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #45 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers ($49K), Prepress Technicians and Workers ($49K), Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($49K), Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($48K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. Leading ones include: Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions; Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools; Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes; Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders? ▼
For SOC 51-9021, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.9), Operation and Control (3.9), Monitoring (3.1), Quality Control Analysis (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Administration and Management, Production and Processing, English Language. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $48,540 as the national median for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. The published 10th-90th range is $36,520 to $69,240. Beside Gas Plant Operators ($87,820), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is -3%. Projected annual openings: about 2,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? ▼
Nebraska ($58,920), Minnesota ($56,550), New York ($58,090) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9021. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics