Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
51-4033 Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
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.
National estimates for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Industry profile for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Geographic profile for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
National estimates for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 67,750 |
1.8 % |
$ 19.25 |
$ 40,030 |
0.4 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 14.00 |
$ 14.66 |
$ 18.05 |
$ 22.67 |
$ 27.40 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 29,120 |
$ 30,500 |
$ 37,550 |
$ 47,150 |
$ 57,000 |
Industry profile for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) |
9,290 |
2.08 |
$ 19.45 |
$ 40,460 |
| Foundries |
7,950 |
7.87 |
$ 18.21 |
$ 37,880 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing |
7,830 |
2.41 |
$ 19.02 |
$ 39,570 |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities |
4,900 |
3.96 |
$ 18.19 |
$ 37,830 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing |
4,860 |
3.04 |
$ 19.79 |
$ 41,170 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Foundries |
7,950 |
7.87 |
$ 18.21 |
$ 37,880 |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities |
4,900 |
3.96 |
$ 18.19 |
$ 37,830 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing |
4,860 |
3.04 |
$ 19.79 |
$ 41,170 |
| Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing |
7,830 |
2.41 |
$ 19.02 |
$ 39,570 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) |
9,290 |
2.08 |
$ 19.45 |
$ 40,460 |
Top paying industries for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing |
610 |
1.10 |
$ 26.42 |
$ 54,950 |
| Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing |
490 |
0.89 |
$ 24.45 |
$ 50,860 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing |
490 |
0.12 |
$ 23.96 |
$ 49,830 |
| Electrical Equipment Manufacturing |
230 |
0.17 |
$ 23.64 |
$ 49,170 |
| Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing |
1,040 |
1.17 |
$ 23.19 |
$ 48,230 |
Geographic profile for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
7,950 |
0.48 |
1.00 |
$ 19.39 |
$ 40,320 |
| Ohio |
6,980 |
1.34 |
2.79 |
$ 18.13 |
$ 37,710 |
| Illinois |
4,430 |
0.79 |
1.64 |
$ 19.21 |
$ 39,950 |
| Indiana |
4,070 |
1.36 |
2.84 |
$ 18.60 |
$ 38,690 |
| Michigan |
4,020 |
0.99 |
2.06 |
$ 19.37 |
$ 40,300 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Indiana |
4,070 |
1.36 |
2.84 |
$ 18.60 |
$ 38,690 |
| Wisconsin |
3,710 |
1.35 |
2.80 |
$ 19.72 |
$ 41,010 |
| Ohio |
6,980 |
1.34 |
2.79 |
$ 18.13 |
$ 37,710 |
| Connecticut |
2,070 |
1.32 |
2.74 |
$ 20.91 |
$ 43,500 |
| Michigan |
4,020 |
0.99 |
2.06 |
$ 19.37 |
$ 40,300 |
Top paying states for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Oregon |
1,100 |
0.60 |
1.25 |
$ 22.72 |
$ 47,250 |
| Louisiana |
70 |
0.04 |
0.08 |
$ 22.39 |
$ 46,570 |
| South Carolina |
1,110 |
0.54 |
1.12 |
$ 21.96 |
$ 45,680 |
| Massachusetts |
1,840 |
0.54 |
1.13 |
$ 21.02 |
$ 43,720 |
| West Virginia |
150 |
0.22 |
0.46 |
$ 21.01 |
$ 43,690 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
3,810 |
0.67 |
1.38 |
$ 19.50 |
$ 40,570 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
3,360 |
0.79 |
1.65 |
$ 20.00 |
$ 41,600 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
1,630 |
0.19 |
0.39 |
$ 19.56 |
$ 40,680 |
| Cleveland-Elyria, OH |
1,460 |
1.52 |
3.16 |
$ 18.64 |
$ 38,780 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI |
1,330 |
0.74 |
1.53 |
$ 20.95 |
$ 43,580 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
1,250 |
0.69 |
1.43 |
$ 20.54 |
$ 42,730 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI |
1,240 |
1.58 |
3.29 |
$ 20.55 |
$ 42,730 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
1,210 |
0.47 |
0.97 |
$ 20.60 |
$ 42,850 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX |
1,050 |
0.36 |
0.75 |
$ 19.34 |
$ 40,230 |
| Pittsburgh, PA |
990 |
0.95 |
1.97 |
$ 21.45 |
$ 44,620 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Muskegon, MI |
490 |
8.58 |
17.84 |
$ 20.61 |
$ 42,860 |
| Sheboygan, WI |
260 |
4.46 |
9.28 |
$ 19.88 |
$ 41,350 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN |
550 |
4.09 |
8.52 |
$ 19.68 |
$ 40,930 |
| Albany, OR |
150 |
3.46 |
7.19 |
$ 24.26 |
$ 50,470 |
| Anniston-Oxford-Jacksonville, AL |
130 |
2.94 |
6.11 |
$ 15.01 |
$ 31,220 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN |
100 |
2.71 |
5.64 |
$ 16.54 |
$ 34,400 |
| Danbury, CT |
190 |
2.68 |
5.57 |
$ 21.57 |
$ 44,860 |
| Rockford, IL |
350 |
2.63 |
5.47 |
$ 17.46 |
$ 36,320 |
| Springfield, OH |
120 |
2.59 |
5.38 |
$ 16.90 |
$ 35,140 |
| Weirton-Steubenville, WV-OH |
90 |
2.56 |
5.32 |
(8) |
(8) |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
170 |
0.51 |
1.06 |
$ 28.74 |
$ 59,780 |
| Syracuse, NY |
260 |
0.95 |
1.97 |
$ 24.81 |
$ 51,600 |
| Albany, OR |
150 |
3.46 |
7.19 |
$ 24.26 |
$ 50,470 |
| Richmond, VA |
30 |
0.05 |
0.11 |
$ 22.96 |
$ 47,760 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA |
870 |
0.78 |
1.62 |
$ 22.78 |
$ 47,370 |
| Spartanburg, SC |
90 |
0.54 |
1.13 |
$ 22.61 |
$ 47,030 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL |
220 |
1.28 |
2.66 |
$ 22.60 |
$ 47,010 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX |
110 |
0.77 |
1.59 |
$ 22.58 |
$ 46,960 |
| Vallejo-Fairfield, CA |
40 |
0.28 |
0.58 |
$ 22.57 |
$ 46,950 |
| Springfield, MA-CT |
490 |
1.58 |
3.29 |
$ 22.20 |
$ 46,170 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
