Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in the U.S.
$48,170avg. a year
$23.16 an hour · 67,000 employed
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in the U.S. earn an average of $48,170 a year and a median of $46,550. Pay is highest in Oregon ($58,530) and lowest in South Dakota ($40,130).
$46,550Median pay
$23.16Average hourly
+24%Avg. pay since 2020
67,000Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
11,180 jobs
Oregon
$58,530
$28.14 an hour
21,400 jobs
Minnesota
$56,470
$27.15 an hour
32,420 jobs
Massachusetts
$54,320
$26.12 an hour
4300 jobs
Vermont
$54,310
$26.11 an hour
51,870 jobs
Washington
$53,290
$25.62 an hour
62,410 jobs
New York
$52,640
$25.31 an hour
7850 jobs
Kentucky
$51,730
$24.87 an hour
8
North Dakota
$51,360
$24.69 an hour
91,210 jobs
Missouri
$50,700
$24.38 an hour
101,730 jobs
South Carolina
$49,970
$24.03 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $44k$44k–$47k$47k–$49k$49k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $59,420 | $28.57 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $57,880 | $27.83 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $57,790 | $27.79 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | $57,590 | $27.69 |
| Syracuse, NY | $57,220 | $27.51 |
| Albany, OR | $56,770 | $27.29 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $56,720 | $27.27 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,300 | $27.07 |
Related jobs
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$56,760
- Machinists$59,320
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,430
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,960
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,030
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,480
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $41,330 | $38,170 | 1,500 |
| Arizona | $45,910 | $44,990 | 670 |
| Arkansas | $42,920 | $39,590 | 340 |
| California | $48,450 | $45,890 | 7,800 |
| Colorado | $47,210 | $46,120 | 500 |
| Connecticut | $49,690 | $48,590 | 1,530 |
| Delaware | $43,760 | $44,390 | 50 |
| Florida | $43,250 | $40,310 | 1,020 |
| Georgia | $46,330 | $45,850 | 940 |
| Idaho | $45,270 | $45,980 | 170 |
| Illinois | $48,750 | $46,180 | 4,100 |
| Indiana | $48,670 | $47,310 | 4,170 |
| Iowa | $49,130 | $46,380 | 890 |
| Kansas | $42,810 | $42,710 | 1,010 |
| Kentucky | $51,730 | $49,160 | 850 |
| Louisiana | $41,150 | $38,650 | 160 |
| Maine | $47,440 | $47,230 | 170 |
| Maryland | $43,890 | $43,530 | 160 |
| Massachusetts | $54,320 | $50,910 | 2,420 |
| Michigan | $46,830 | $45,460 | 4,180 |
| Minnesota | $56,470 | $51,780 | 1,400 |
| Mississippi | $45,900 | $42,660 | 430 |
| Missouri | $50,700 | $46,270 | 1,210 |
| Montana | $42,390 | $41,740 | 160 |
| Nebraska | $47,420 | $48,500 | 300 |
| Nevada | $49,150 | $46,140 | 170 |
| New Hampshire | $48,230 | $46,580 | 600 |
| New Jersey | $45,940 | $44,450 | 860 |
| New Mexico | $40,490 | $38,020 | 30 |
| New York | $52,640 | $49,290 | 2,410 |
| North Carolina | $47,010 | $47,770 | 1,610 |
| North Dakota | $51,360 | $47,670 | – |
| Ohio | $47,070 | $45,270 | 5,960 |
| Oklahoma | $41,490 | $38,570 | 870 |
| Oregon | $58,530 | $57,290 | 1,180 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,840 | $47,650 | 3,830 |
| Rhode Island | $49,300 | $43,650 | 140 |
| South Carolina | $49,970 | $48,040 | 1,730 |
| South Dakota | $40,130 | $39,060 | 130 |
| Tennessee | $44,740 | $44,710 | 1,340 |
| Texas | $42,170 | $42,250 | 2,960 |
| Utah | $45,490 | $44,320 | 400 |
| Vermont | $54,310 | $50,640 | 300 |
| Virginia | $43,310 | $43,170 | 620 |
| Washington | $53,290 | $49,300 | 1,870 |
| West Virginia | $48,900 | $49,950 | 200 |
| Wisconsin | $48,520 | $47,330 | 3,570 |
| Wyoming | $49,190 | $46,800 | 30 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$48,320
3,920 jobsChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$49,720
3,110 jobsBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$55,210
1,630 jobsCleveland, OH
$46,450
1,620 jobsHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
$42,090
1,290 jobsDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
$48,090
1,210 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$50,460
1,180 jobsMilwaukee-Waukesha, WI
$50,220
1,080 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
The average is $48,170 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $46,550 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $23.16, and the median is $22.38 an hour.
Which state pays grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic the most?
Oregon, with an average of $58,530 a year. The best-paying metro area is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA at $59,420.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $36,110 a year, and the top 10% earn over $62,600.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-4033. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.