Metal Workers and Plastic Workers

How to become a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic

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

Also called: Cell Operator, Centerless Grinder Operator, Deburrer, Die Maintenance Technician (Die Maintenance Tech), Finisher, Grinder, Grinder Operator, Grinding Machine Operator, Metal Finisher, Process Equipment Operator

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary training.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Grinder I (Clock & Watch).
Apprenticeship: Grinder Set-Up Operator, Jig.
Apprenticeship: Stone Polisher.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $46,550 a year The middle half earn $39,390 to $54,290.
About 68,500 people work in this job now, and about 61,100 are projected by 2035. (-10.8%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

How much does a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $46,550 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $39,390 to $54,290.

Is a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 11% by 2035, from about 68,500 to about 61,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Grinder I (Clock & Watch).

Will AI change the work of a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

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 Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, 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.