Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-4033

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

Median pay sits 37% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Power Plant Operators, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) , Power Plant Operators ($102K) , Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-4033 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or microme…
  2. 2. Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices
  3. 3. Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems
  4. 4. Move machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings
  5. 5. Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences
  6. 6. Select machine tooling to be used, using knowledge of machine and production requirements
  7. 7. Compute machine indexings and settings for specified dimensions and base reference points
  8. 8. Mount and position tools in machine chucks, spindles, or other tool holding devices, using hand tools
  9. 9. Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications
  10. 10. Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff…
  11. 11. Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation
  12. 12. Brush or spray lubricating compounds on workpieces, or turn valve handles and direct flow of coolant against tools and workpieces

Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-4033 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 4.0 ; lead knowledge Production and Processing. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 4.0
  2. 2. Operation and Control 4.0
  3. 3. Quality Control Analysis 3.5
  4. 4. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  5. 5. Monitoring 3.1
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 3.0
  8. 8. Troubleshooting 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Production and Processing 3.5
  2. 2. Mathematics 3.0
  3. 3. Administration and Management 2.8
  4. 4. Mechanical 2.7
  5. 5. English Language 2.6
  6. 6. Computers and Electronics 2.5
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-37%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $46,550/yr
$47K
National median
↓ -12%
Growth 2024-2034
5,500
Annual openings
67,000
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

1. Kentucky $49,160
2. Connecticut $48,590
3. Nebraska $48,500
4. Oregon $57,290
5. New York $49,290
6. Minnesota $51,780
7. West Virginia $49,950
8. Vermont $50,640
9. Massachusetts $50,910
10. Washington $49,300

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  2. 2. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  3. 3. Power Plant Operators $102,040
  4. 4. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  5. 5. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits 37% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $46,550.

Employment Projections expect -12% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 5,500 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: Kentucky at $49,160. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay-rank #57 in Production Occupations

Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic sits at pay-rank #57 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.

SOC 51-4033 · national median $46,550 · middle third of Production Occupations (#57/105). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

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

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-4033

Kentucky · top state for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

$49K published median

Connecticut · #2 state pay

$49K · behind Kentucky

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $123K

Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers

Lower-pay peer beside Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · $65K

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

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

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

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #57 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($47K), Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders ($46K), Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters ($47K), Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers ($46K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. Leading ones include: Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or microme…; 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic? ▼
For SOC 51-4033, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (4.0), Operation and Control (4.0), Quality Control Analysis (3.5), Reading Comprehension (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Production and Processing, Mathematics, Administration and Management. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $46,550 as the national median for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. The published 10th-90th range is $36,110 to $62,600. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic is -12%. Projected annual openings: about 5,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic? ▼
Kentucky ($49,160), Connecticut ($48,590), Nebraska ($48,500) 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 Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-4033. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. 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