All About Grinding Machine Operators
Occupation Description Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.
What Do Grinding Machine Operators Do On a Daily Basis?
- Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms.
- Set mill gauges to specified fineness of grind.
- Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials.
- Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements.
- Add or mix chemicals and ingredients for processing, using hand tools or other devices.
- Break mixtures to size, using picks.
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Things a Grinding Machine Operator Should Know How to Do
Below is a list of the skills most Grinding Machine Operators say are important on the job.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control: Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Related Job Titles
- Machine Stone Polisher Apprentice
- Gristmill Operator
- Sagger Preparer
- Head Miller
- Laboratory Miller
What Kind of Grinding Machine Operator Job Opportunities Are There?
In 2016, there was an estimated number of 30,200 jobs in the United States for Grinding Machine Operator. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Grinding Machine Operator. The BLS estimates 3,000 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Grinding Machine Operator are Alaska, Utah, and Florida. Watch out if you plan on working in Ohio, West Virginia, or Kansas. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Salary for a Grinding Machine Operator
Grinding Machine Operators make between $24,310 and $53,650 a year.

Grinding Machine Operators who work in Wyoming, Nevada, or West Virginia, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Grinding Machine Operators in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $39,750 |
Arizona | $45,420 |
Arkansas | $30,550 |
California | $33,680 |
Colorado | $41,760 |
Connecticut | $39,420 |
Delaware | $41,640 |
Florida | $37,280 |
Georgia | $36,390 |
Idaho | $42,050 |
Illinois | $39,820 |
Indiana | $36,110 |
Iowa | $37,590 |
Kansas | $36,470 |
Kentucky | $34,460 |
Louisiana | $43,240 |
Maine | $44,100 |
Maryland | $42,090 |
Massachusetts | $42,770 |
Michigan | $34,760 |
Minnesota | $44,970 |
Mississippi | $31,060 |
Missouri | $35,260 |
Montana | $42,270 |
Nebraska | $35,830 |
Nevada | $56,540 |
New Hampshire | $42,810 |
New Jersey | $37,170 |
New Mexico | $46,180 |
New York | $39,300 |
North Carolina | $33,910 |
North Dakota | $45,160 |
Ohio | $35,860 |
Oklahoma | $31,550 |
Oregon | $39,720 |
Pennsylvania | $39,660 |
South Carolina | $39,630 |
South Dakota | $33,900 |
Tennessee | $35,960 |
Texas | $34,760 |
Utah | $45,520 |
Vermont | $46,300 |
Virginia | $33,760 |
Washington | $39,640 |
West Virginia | $50,420 |
Wisconsin | $40,360 |
Wyoming | $66,790 |
What Tools & Technology do Grinding Machine Operators Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Grinding Machine Operators:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Data entry software
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Spreadsheet software
- SAP software
Becoming a Grinding Machine Operator
Education needed to be a Grinding Machine Operator:

How many years of work experience do I need?

Grinding Machine Operators Sector

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Related Careers
Career changers with experience as a Grinding Machine Operator sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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