Production · Holland code RC

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.

Also called: Grinder, Grinder Operator, Saw Filer, Tool Grinder, Crankshaft Grinder, Cutter Grind Tool Technician (Cutter Grind Tool Tech), Cutter Grinder, OD Grinder Operator (Outer Diameter Grinder Operator).

O*NET 51-4194.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $50,060; Middle half earn $40,800 to $62,150. 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.

Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.
Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.
Set up and operate grinding or polishing machines to grind metal workpieces, such as dies, parts, and tools.
Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.
Perform basic maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating machine parts.
Remove finished workpieces from machines and place them in boxes or on racks, setting aside pieces that are defective.
Turn valves to direct flow of coolant against cutting wheels and workpieces during grinding.
Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Monitoring3.1 / 5
Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Active Listening2.9 / 5
Speaking2.9 / 5
Reading Comprehension2.8 / 5
Mathematics2.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mathematics4.0 / 5
Mechanical3.8 / 5
Production and Processing3.6 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.2 / 5
Education and Training3.0 / 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
Investigative17
Artistic4
Social0
Enterprising0
Conventional53

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
tool grinder · DE Werkzeugschleifer/Werkzeugschleiferin · FR affûteur d’outils/affûteuse d’outils
surface grinding machine operator · DE Flachschleifer/Flachschleiferin · FR opérateur de rectifieuse de surfaces planes/opératrice de rectifieuse de surfaces planes
cylindrical grinder operator · DE Rundschleifer/Rundschleiferin · FR opérateur de rectifieuse cylindrique/opératrice de rectifieuse cylindrique
filing machine operator · DE Maschinenfeiler/Maschinenfeilerin · FR polisseur-limeur/polisseuse-limeuse

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 -0.88. 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 (51-4194).

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