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Jobs / Production and manufacturing / 51-4033.00

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.

US jobs
67,000
Median wage
$46,550 a year
Job family
Production and manufacturing

Can agents do the work of grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic?

We read the evidence for the whole job family, Production and manufacturing: Unmeasured (no change in 12 months)

No direct benchmark gives a success rate.

0% of this occupation's work, by O*NET work activities, is measured by a direct benchmark.

  • 22%Operate cutting or grinding equipmentNot measured
  • 15%Measure physical characteristics of materials, products, or equipmentNot measured
  • 12%Position workpieces or materials on equipmentNot measured
  • 8%Set up equipmentNot measured
  • 6%Monitor equipment operationNot measured
  • 6%Select materials or equipment for operations or projectsNot measured
  • 6%Read documents or materials to inform work processesNot measured
  • 4%Replenish inventories of materials, equipment, or productsNot measured

Benchmarks for the job family

These cover work in production and manufacturing, not always this occupation's tasks.

Also relevant

These benchmarks cover part of this family's work, or have no result yet. They do not set its step.

Typical tasks

From O*NET 31.0. Core tasks first. Few of these tasks have a benchmark today.

  • 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.
  • Select machine tooling to be used, using knowledge of machine and production requirements.
  • Mount and position tools in machine chucks, spindles, or other tool holding devices, using hand tools.
  • 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 workpieces.
  • Compute machine indexings and settings for specified dimensions and base reference points.
Other job titles for this occupation (74)

Cell Operator · Centerless Grinder Operator · Deburrer · Die Maintenance Technician (Die Maintenance Tech) · Finisher · Grinder · Grinder Operator · Grinding Machine Operator · Metal Finisher · Process Equipment Operator · Automatic Grinder Operator · Bench Grinder · Billet Grinder · Bit Grinder · Blade Grinder · Brass Buffer · Buffer · Bufferer · Buffing Line Set Up Worker · Buffing Machine Operator · Buffing Machine Tender · Centerless Grinder Setup Operator · Cylinder Grinder · Deburr Operator · Deburr Technician (Deburr Tech) · Deburring and Tooling Machine Operator · Deburring Machine Operator · Deburring Technician (Deburring Tech) · Disk Grinder · Drill Grinder · Emery Grinder · External Grinder · Fender Finisher · Finish Grinder · Flute Grinder · Flute Polisher · Gear Finisher · Gear Grinder · Gear Lapper · Gear Lapping Machine Operator · Gold Wheel Blocker and Polisher · Gold-Nib Grinder · Grinder Machine Operator · Grinder Machine Setter · Grinder Set Up Operator · Grinding Machine Tender · Jig Grinder Setup Operator · Knife Grinder · Lapper · Lapping Machine Operator · Lapping Machine Setup Operator · Machine Burrer · Machine Finisher · Machine Grinder · Magnetic Grinder Operator · Metal Buffer · Metal Burnisher · Metal Burrer · Metal Grinder · Metal Polisher · Polishing Machine Operator · Production Lapping Machine Operator · Roll Grinder · Roll Grinder Operator · Satin Finisher · Saw Grinder · Scissors Grinder · Scratch Brusher · Scratch Finisher · Shear Grinder Operator · Shot Grinder Operator · Silverware Buffing Machine Operator · Tool Polishing Machine Operator · Universal Grinder Operator