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Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand: Career Profile
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.
What Tasks Do Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of grinding and polishing workers, hand include:
- 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.
Skills and Knowledge
Top grinding and polishing workers, hand rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Most Important Skills
The abilities most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Aircraft Skin Burnisher
- Balance Wheel Arm Burnisher
- Balance Wheel Hand Filer
- Barrel Finisher
- Beveler
- Bit Shaver
- Buffer
- Burrer
Job Outlook
There are roughly 425,785 grinding and polishing workers, hand working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +13.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $65,857 |
| Hourly median | $31.66 |
| 10th percentile | $47,015 |
| 25th percentile | $56,436 |
| 75th percentile | $75,278 |
| 90th percentile | $84,699 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | $50,550 |
| Nevada | $50,130 |
| Rhode Island | $49,050 |
| Connecticut | $47,460 |
| Missouri | $47,070 |
| Iowa | $46,960 |
| Oregon | $46,650 |
| New Hampshire | $46,420 |
| Washington | $46,250 |
| New York | $45,760 |
| Ohio | $43,430 |
| California | $43,170 |
| Arizona | $42,570 |
| Wisconsin | $42,030 |
| Massachusetts | $41,710 |
| New Jersey | $41,610 |
| Michigan | $41,330 |
| South Carolina | $40,790 |
| Colorado | $40,090 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,430 |
| Indiana | $39,110 |
| Virginia | $38,920 |
| Georgia | $38,710 |
| Florida | $38,470 |
| Vermont | $38,350 |
| Illinois | $38,220 |
| Texas | $37,870 |
| North Carolina | $37,750 |
| South Dakota | $37,620 |
| Tennessee | $36,560 |
| Utah | $35,710 |
| Oklahoma | $35,410 |
| New Mexico | $34,900 |
| Alabama | $33,060 |
| Louisiana | $32,120 |
Where Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand Earn the Most
Pay for grinding and polishing workers, hand differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $46,913 | 6.1% | 1.35 |
| New England | $44,435 | 4.4% | 2.14 |
| Far Western US | $43,830 | 25.0% | 1.60 |
| Middle Atlantic | $43,054 | 10.8% | 0.82 |
| Great Lakes | $41,051 | 17.2% | 1.80 |
| Southwest | $37,989 | 12.7% | 1.11 |
| Southeast | $37,938 | 23.1% | 1.10 |
| Rocky Mountains | $35,710 | 0.7% | 0.58 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MN | MN | $59,480 | 40 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $57,590 | |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | SC | $52,300 | 100 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | PA | $51,240 | 50 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $50,850 | 110 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $50,560 | 170 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | MO | $50,190 | 100 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $49,290 | 310 |
Which Industries Hire Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
The bulk of grinding and polishing workers, hand work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 10,010 | $41,710 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 470 | $45,160 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 440 | $36,920 |
| Wholesale Trade | 350 | $41,480 |
| Construction | 250 | $46,640 |
| Retail Trade | 90 | $39,870 |
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand work in the following industries:
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The on-the-job environment of grinding and polishing workers, hand is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Contaminants
Education and Training
Entry-level grinding and polishing workers, hand positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery (Supplemental)
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
About the Data
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9022.00 (Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand).
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