51 Series · SOC 51-9021

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

National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).

$48,540
Median / year
$69,240
Top 10% earn
-2.5%
Growth '23–'33
26,000
US workers

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $48,540 per year.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $48,540, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $36,520 (10th percentile) to $69,240 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 26,000 US workers. Wyoming pays the most ($71,300), since pay varies by state and metro area.

51 Series · Source: BLS OEWS Compare with another job →
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The pay verdict

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn a median of $48,540, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 29% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #45 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 2.5% by 2033.

$48,540
Median annual wage
Top 71%
of 825 US occupations with published wages
#45 of 105
in Production
1.9×
90th-to-10th pay spread

Highest-paying state: Wyoming at $71,300. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (SOC 51-9021) pays a national median of $48,540 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $36,520 at the 10th percentile to $69,240 at the 90th, with a mean of $51,380 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 26,000 Americans work in this occupation across 48 reporting states and 189 metro areas.

BLS Employment Projections forecast a -2.5% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,700 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.

Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. Wyoming pays the highest state median at $71,300, which is +47% above the national figure. The top metro is Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area at $108,800 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.

BLS OEWS May 2025 26,000 jobs Median $48,540/yr

Median Salary

$48,540

per year

Median Hourly

$23.34/hr

per hour

Mean Salary

$51,380

average

Employment

26,000

jobs nationwide

How does this pay compare nationally?

Where Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay sits nationally

Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median

$48,540 Bottom 29% higher than 29% of 825 US occupations

$0–$20,000: 0 US occupations (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 98 US occupations (12%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 298 US occupations (36%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 209 US occupations (25%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 82 US occupations (10%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 58 US occupations (7%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 32 US occupations (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 14 US occupations (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 9 US occupations (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 25 US occupations (3%). Above this entry. This job $0 $200,000 every BLS occupation, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025

Does this job pay well and grow?

Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).

Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits on the slower-growing side at -2.5% growth and $48,540 median pay.

Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits on the slower-growing side at -2.5% growth and $48,540 median pay. Scatter plot of 23 data points. $30000$40000$50000$60000$70000$80000 -15%-10%-5%0%5%10% Projected growth 2024–2034 (%) Median annual wage
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits on the slower-growing side at -2.5% growth and $48,540 median pay.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).

Job Outlook (2024–2034)

Projected Growth

-2.5%

Declining

Annual Openings

2,700

per year (projected)

Typical Education

High school diploma or equivalent

On-the-Job Training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034

Workplace Safety

All safety ratings →
B

Safe

Safety Grade (BLS 2023)

Fatality Rate

3.5/100K

Injury Rate

3.2/100

Danger Index

14.6/100

Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023

Career Intelligence

Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.

Top Skills

Operations Monitoring 3.9
Operation and Control 3.9
Monitoring 3.1
Quality Control Analysis 3.1
Reading Comprehension 3.0
Active Listening 3.0
Speaking 3.0
Coordination 3.0
Judgment and Decision Making 3.0
Time Management 3.0

Knowledge Areas

Administration and Management 3.5
Production and Processing 3.4
English Language 3.2
Education and Training 3.2
Public Safety and Security 3.0
Mathematics 3.0
Mechanical 2.9
Administrative 2.6
Customer and Personal Service 2.5
Computers and Electronics 2.5

Key Tasks

  • 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.
  • Notify supervisors of needed repairs.
  • Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements.
  • Test samples of materials or products to ensure compliance with specifications, using test equipment.
  • Mark bins as to types of mixtures stored.
  • Transfer materials, supplies, and products between work areas, using moving equipment and hand tools.
  • Add or mix chemicals and ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices.

Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.

Salary Range

Annual Salary Distribution

$36,520$40,430$48,540$60,040$69,240
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

Hourly Rate Distribution

$17.56$19.44$23.34$28.87$33.29
10th pct25thMedian75th90th pct

10th Percentile

$36,520

25th Percentile

$40,430

Median

$48,540

75th Percentile

$60,040

90th Percentile

$69,240

Salary by State

View all 48 states →
# State Median Salary vs National
1 Wyoming $71,300 +47% above national
2 Alaska $68,730 +42% above national
3 Iowa $62,590 +29% above national
4 Nevada $60,180 +24% above national
5 Montana $60,110 +24% above national
6 Nebraska $58,920 +21% above national
7 Vermont $58,890 +21% above national
8 West Virginia $58,760 +21% above national
9 New York $58,090 +20% above national
10 Minnesota $56,550 +17% above national
11 Oregon $55,600 +15% above national
12 Wisconsin $54,580 +12% above national
13 Maine $54,080 +11% above national
14 Connecticut $53,130 +9% above national
15 Pennsylvania $52,560 +8% above national
16 Alabama $51,920 +7% above national
17 Utah $51,770 +7% above national
18 Idaho $51,500 +6% above national
19 Indiana $51,150 +5% above national
20 New Hampshire $50,360 +4% above national
21 Arizona $50,270 +4% above national
22 Massachusetts $50,110 +3% above national
23 North Dakota $49,280 +2% above national
24 Missouri $48,840 +1% above national
25 Kansas $48,570 same as national
26 South Dakota $48,330 same as national
27 Illinois $48,290 1% below national
28 Washington $48,020 1% below national
29 Colorado $46,950 3% below national
30 Florida $46,950 3% below national
31 New Jersey $46,690 4% below national
32 Michigan $46,500 4% below national
33 North Carolina $46,270 5% below national
34 Georgia $45,920 5% below national
35 California $45,870 6% below national
36 New Mexico $45,760 6% below national
37 Virginia $45,560 6% below national
38 South Carolina $45,280 7% below national
39 Texas $45,090 7% below national
40 Louisiana $44,900 7% below national
41 Ohio $43,850 10% below national
42 Tennessee $42,950 12% below national
43 Kentucky $42,520 12% below national
44 Maryland $42,280 13% below national
45 Arkansas $38,910 20% below national
46 Oklahoma $38,380 21% below national
47 Mississippi $37,420 23% below national
48 Puerto Rico $23,340 52% below national

Salary by Metro Area

View all 189 metro areas →
# Metro Area Median Salary vs National
1 Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area $108,800 +124% above national
2 Duluth, MN-WI $84,310 +74% above national
3 Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area $78,710 +62% above national
4 Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area $77,090 +59% above national
5 East Georgia nonmetropolitan area $72,560 +49% above national
6 Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area $71,300 +47% above national
7 Alaska nonmetropolitan area $68,730 +42% above national
8 Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area $68,490 +41% above national
9 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN $66,800 +38% above national
10 Corpus Christi, TX $66,540 +37% above national
11 Sandusky, OH $65,240 +34% above national
12 Cedar Rapids, IA $64,670 +33% above national
13 Chambersburg, PA $64,190 +32% above national
14 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI $63,970 +32% above national
15 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN $63,800 +31% above national
16 South Illinois nonmetropolitan area $63,350 +31% above national
17 Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area $62,910 +30% above national
18 Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area $62,780 +29% above national
19 Omaha, NE-IA $61,950 +28% above national
20 Ogden, UT $61,860 +27% above national
21 Medford, OR $61,830 +27% above national
22 Southern West Virginia nonmetropolitan area $61,010 +26% above national
23 Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area $60,560 +25% above national
24 Southwest Montana nonmetropolitan area $60,110 +24% above national
25 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI $59,930 +23% above national
26 Decatur, AL $59,920 +23% above national
27 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $59,880 +23% above national
28 New Orleans-Metairie, LA $59,320 +22% above national
29 Evansville, IN $59,290 +22% above national
30 Salem, OR $59,290 +22% above national
31 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA $59,160 +22% above national
32 Rochester, NY $59,130 +22% above national
33 South Nebraska nonmetropolitan area $58,920 +21% above national
34 Reno, NV $58,820 +21% above national
35 Sioux City, IA-NE-SD $58,670 +21% above national
36 Boise City, ID $58,420 +20% above national
37 Portland-South Portland, ME $58,140 +20% above national
38 Kansas City, MO-KS $57,690 +19% above national
39 Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ $57,210 +18% above national
40 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $57,050 +18% above national
41 West North Dakota nonmetropolitan area $56,860 +17% above national
42 Central East New York nonmetropolitan area $56,500 +16% above national
43 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT $56,460 +16% above national
44 Fargo, ND-MN $56,080 +16% above national
45 Southern Vermont nonmetropolitan area $56,000 +15% above national
46 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY $55,920 +15% above national
47 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT $55,560 +14% above national
48 Northwestern Idaho nonmetropolitan area $55,560 +14% above national
49 Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area $55,370 +14% above national
50 Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $55,160 +14% above national
51 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA $55,090 +13% above national
52 Reading, PA $54,890 +13% above national
53 Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area $54,740 +13% above national
54 Racine-Mount Pleasant, WI $54,580 +12% above national
55 Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area $54,230 +12% above national
56 Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area $53,560 +10% above national
57 Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area $53,540 +10% above national
58 Pittsburgh, PA $53,040 +9% above national
59 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY $52,730 +9% above national
60 Southwest New York nonmetropolitan area $52,500 +8% above national
61 Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $52,110 +7% above national
62 Terre Haute, IN $51,880 +7% above national
63 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH $51,750 +7% above national
64 Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area $51,440 +6% above national
65 Worcester, MA $51,320 +6% above national
66 Southeast-Central Idaho nonmetropolitan area $51,170 +5% above national
67 Lancaster, PA $51,140 +5% above national
68 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $51,020 +5% above national
69 Northwest Iowa nonmetropolitan area $51,020 +5% above national
70 Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area $50,890 +5% above national
71 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL $50,860 +5% above national
72 St. Cloud, MN $50,850 +5% above national
73 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT $50,740 +5% above national
74 Wichita, KS $50,740 +5% above national
75 Northeastern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area $50,730 +5% above national
76 St. Joseph, MO-KS $50,640 +4% above national
77 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $50,600 +4% above national
78 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $50,400 +4% above national
79 Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area $50,400 +4% above national
80 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $50,260 +4% above national
81 North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area $49,990 +3% above national
82 Syracuse, NY $49,920 +3% above national
83 Northeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area $49,880 +3% above national
84 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $49,860 +3% above national
85 Western Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area $49,800 +3% above national
86 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $49,720 +2% above national
87 High Desert Utah nonmetropolitan area $49,650 +2% above national
88 Jacksonville, FL $49,580 +2% above national
89 Boulder, CO $49,520 +2% above national
90 Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area $49,440 +2% above national
91 East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area $49,230 +1% above national
92 Bismarck, ND $49,180 +1% above national
93 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $49,160 +1% above national
94 West Tennessee nonmetropolitan area $49,080 +1% above national
95 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD $49,020 +1% above national
96 East South Dakota nonmetropolitan area $49,020 +1% above national
97 Columbus, OH $48,860 +1% above national
98 Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area $48,840 +1% above national
99 East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area $48,710 same as national
100 Kansas nonmetropolitan area $48,570 same as national
101 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO $48,530 same as national
102 St. Louis, MO-IL $48,450 same as national
103 Columbia, SC $48,400 same as national
104 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ $48,290 1% below national
105 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN $48,230 1% below national
106 Southern Indiana nonmetropolitan area $47,940 1% below national
107 Napa, CA $47,860 1% below national
108 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $47,840 1% below national
109 Eugene-Springfield, OR $47,830 1% below national
110 Fort Wayne, IN $47,790 2% below national
111 Joplin, MO-KS $47,790 2% below national
112 Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area $47,700 2% below national
113 Springfield, MA $47,630 2% below national
114 East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area $47,630 2% below national
115 West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area $47,380 2% below national
116 Jackson, TN $47,180 3% below national
117 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $47,090 3% below national
118 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $47,080 3% below national
119 Lincoln, NE $46,870 3% below national
120 Northwestern South Carolina nonmetropolitan area $46,780 4% below national
121 Memphis, TN-MS-AR $46,770 4% below national
122 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX $46,530 4% below national
123 Greeley, CO $46,430 4% below national
124 Fresno, CA $46,270 5% below national
125 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA $46,260 5% below national
126 Toledo, OH $46,230 5% below national
127 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV $46,110 5% below national
128 Modesto, CA $46,000 5% below national
129 Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $45,840 6% below national
130 West Arkansas nonmetropolitan area $45,800 6% below national
131 Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX $45,560 6% below national
132 Great Falls, MT $45,440 6% below national
133 Gainesville, GA $44,720 8% below national
134 Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA $44,680 8% below national
135 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA $44,580 8% below national
136 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA $44,500 8% below national
137 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL $44,450 8% below national
138 Canton-Massillon, OH $44,370 9% below national
139 Southwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area $44,350 9% below national
140 Raleigh-Cary, NC $44,290 9% below national
141 Richmond, VA $44,240 9% below national
142 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO $44,220 9% below national
143 Chattanooga, TN-GA $44,180 9% below national
144 Stockton-Lodi, CA $44,030 9% below national
145 Bakersfield-Delano, CA $43,930 9% below national
146 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $43,820 10% below national
147 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL $43,770 10% below national
148 Elkhart-Goshen, IN $43,700 10% below national
149 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI $43,220 11% below national
150 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA $43,220 11% below national
151 Knoxville, TN $42,990 11% below national
152 Albuquerque, NM $42,840 12% below national
153 Birmingham, AL $42,690 12% below national
154 Northwestern Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area $42,240 13% below national
155 Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area $42,060 13% below national
156 Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area $41,910 14% below national
157 North Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area $41,650 14% below national
158 Baton Rouge, LA $41,600 14% below national
159 Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area $41,500 15% below national
160 Jonesboro, AR $41,280 15% below national
161 Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN $41,210 15% below national
162 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX $40,870 16% below national
163 Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $40,850 16% below national
164 Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC $40,580 16% below national
165 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA $40,560 16% below national
166 North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) $40,400 17% below national
167 Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area $40,400 17% below national
168 North Georgia nonmetropolitan area $40,140 17% below national
169 Coastal Plains Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area $39,840 18% below national
170 Southeast Oklahoma nonmetropolitan area $39,680 18% below national
171 Cleveland, OH $39,670 18% below national
172 Mid Michigan nonmetropolitan area $39,640 18% below national
173 West Delta Mississippi nonmetropolitan area $39,150 19% below national
174 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR $38,910 20% below national
175 Sioux Falls, SD-MN $38,820 20% below national
176 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD $38,730 20% below national
177 North Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area $38,520 21% below national
178 South Arkansas nonmetropolitan area $38,230 21% below national
179 Oklahoma City, OK $37,810 22% below national
180 West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area $37,300 23% below national
181 Hill Country Region of Texas nonmetropolitan area $37,120 24% below national
182 Tulsa, OK $36,950 24% below national
183 Savannah, GA $36,930 24% below national
184 Merced, CA $36,820 24% below national
185 Upper East Mississippi nonmetropolitan area $36,450 25% below national
186 Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area $35,010 28% below national
187 North Arkansas nonmetropolitan area $34,220 30% below national
188 Southside Virginia nonmetropolitan area $31,200 36% below national
189 San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR $23,340 52% below national

Similar Occupations in the Same Category

Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
The median annual salary for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $48,540 ($23.34/hour). The salary range spans from $36,520 at the 10th percentile to $69,240 at the 90th percentile.
What state pays Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders the most?
Wyoming pays the highest median salary for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders at $71,300/year, which is +47% above the national median.
What education do you need to become a Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
The typical entry-level education for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is High school diploma or equivalent. On-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training.
How dangerous is being a Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders has a safety grade of B (Safe) based on BLS data. The fatality rate is 3.5 per 100,000 workers and the injury rate is 3.2 per 100 workers.
Is Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders a good career?
Employment for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is projected to decline 2.5% from 2024 to 2034, which is declining. About 2,700 openings are projected each year.
How does Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay vary by state?
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salaries vary significantly by state. The highest-paying state is Wyoming at $71,300/year, while Maryland pays the least at $42,280/year. BLS data covers 48 states and territories.
Which metro areas pay the most for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
The highest-paying metro area for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area at $108,800/year. BLS reports wage data for 189 metro areas for this occupation, with pay varying based on local demand and cost of living.

What to do with this data

How to use Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay figures in a real decision

  • For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $60,040/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
  • Location moves pay significantly: Wyoming leads at $71,300/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
  • Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs

These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.

Data as of May 2025. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 annual release. Employment projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034. Data reflects cross-industry estimates for all ownership types.

These are survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. See how to use them.

Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.

This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.