Explore by Career/Production
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.
- Median pay
- $45,190
- per year
- 10-year outlook
- -12%
- Declining
- Typical entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
Key skills
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Quality Control Analysis
- Reading Comprehension
- Monitoring
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Troubleshooting
What they do
- Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
- Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
- Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
- Move machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings.
- Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.
- 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.
- Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications.
- 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.
- Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
Majors that lead here
No mapped majors yet.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections) and O*NET, used under CC BY 4.0.