Production · Holland code RC

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.

Also called: Deburrer, Grinder, Grinder Operator, Process Equipment Operator, Cell Operator, Centerless Grinder Operator, Die Maintenance Technician (Die Maintenance Tech), Finisher.

O*NET 51-4033.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $46,550; Middle half earn $39,390 to $54,290. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Maintain stocks of machine parts and machining tools.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking2.9 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5
Active Listening2.8 / 5
Speaking2.8 / 5
Active Learning2.5 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing3.7 / 5
Mechanical3.6 / 5
Mathematics3.1 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.0 / 5
Administration and Management3.0 / 5
English Language2.8 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative19
Artistic3
Social0
Enterprising0
Conventional49

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

grinding machine operator · DE CNC-Schleifer/CNC-Schleiferin · FR rectifieur/rectifieuse
metal polisher · DE Metallpolierer/Metallpoliererin · FR polisseur de métaux/polisseuse de métaux
tool grinder · DE Werkzeugschleifer/Werkzeugschleiferin · FR affûteur d’outils/affûteuse d’outils
jewellery polisher · DE Feinpolierer/Feinpoliererin · FR polisseur de bijou/polisseuse de bijou
wood sander · DE Holzschleifer/Holzschleiferin · FR sableur de bois/sableuse de bois
abrasive blasting operator · DE Sandstrahler/Sandstrahlerin · FR opérateur de traitement d’abrasion de surface/opératrice de traitement d’abrasion de surface

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Metal machining setters and setter-operators (5221)40,400 employed
Metal working machine operatives (8120)28,100 employed
Plant and machine operatives n.e.c. (8139)22,500 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.99. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-4033).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test