How to become a Hand Grinding and Polishing Worker

Official title: Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Also called: Buffer, Casting Finisher, Chipper, Finisher, Grinder, Jewelry Polisher, Knife Grinder, Metal Finisher, Polisher, Stand Grinder

Grind, sand, or polish, using hand tools or hand-held power tools, a variety of metal, wood, stone, clay, plastic, or glass objects. Includes chippers, buffers, and finishers.

Main tasks

• Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery.
• Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools.
• Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met.
• Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment.
• Mark defects, such as knotholes, cracks, and splits, for repair.
• Study blueprints or layouts to determine how to lay out workpieces or saw out templates.
• Move controls to adjust, start, or stop equipment during grinding and polishing processes.
• Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools.

How to become one

Typical education to start: No formal educational credential

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $42,660 a year The middle half earn $37,450 to $49,980.
• About 10,800 people work in this job now, and about 8,700 are projected by 2035. (-19.2%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
• Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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Questions people ask

How much does a Hand Grinding and Polishing Worker earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $42,660 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,450 to $49,980.

Is a Hand Grinding and Polishing Worker a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 19% by 2035, from about 10,800 to about 8,700 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Hand Grinding and Polishing Worker?

Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Hand Grinding and Polishing Worker?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

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.