Home / Apprenticeships / Occupations / Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 51-4033.00
Approved titles
3
RAPIDS codes
Shortest term
6,000 h
longest minimum 8,000 h
National median pay
$46,550
a year, BLS May 2025
Jobs nationally
67,000
BLS May 2025
Approved apprenticeship titles
- Training approaches
- competency-based, hybrid, time-based
- Shortest approved term
- 6,000 hours, STONE POLISHER (competency-based)
- State medians
- $57,290 in Oregon to $31,400 in Puerto Rico (49 states publish one)
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| GRINDER I (Clock & Watch) | 0244 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| GRINDER SET-UP OPERATOR, JIG | 0635 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| STONE POLISHER | 0017 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
What grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn, by state
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $57,290 | $27.54 | 1,180 |
| Minnesota | $51,780 | $24.90 | 1,400 |
| Massachusetts | $50,910 | $24.48 | 2,420 |
| Vermont | $50,640 | $24.35 | 300 |
| West Virginia | $49,950 | $24.02 | 200 |
| Washington | $49,300 | $23.70 | 1,870 |
| New York | $49,290 | $23.70 | 2,410 |
| Kentucky | $49,160 | $23.63 | 850 |
| Connecticut | $48,590 | $23.36 | 1,530 |
| Nebraska | $48,500 | $23.32 | 300 |
| South Carolina | $48,040 | $23.10 | 1,730 |
| North Carolina | $47,770 | $22.97 | 1,610 |
| North Dakota | $47,670 | $22.92 | Not published |
| Pennsylvania | $47,650 | $22.91 | 3,830 |
| Wisconsin | $47,330 | $22.76 | 3,570 |
| Indiana | $47,310 | $22.74 | 4,170 |
| Maine | $47,230 | $22.71 | 170 |
| Wyoming | $46,800 | $22.50 | 30 |
| New Hampshire | $46,580 | $22.40 | 600 |
| Iowa | $46,380 | $22.30 | 890 |
| Missouri | $46,270 | $22.25 | 1,210 |
| Illinois | $46,180 | $22.20 | 4,100 |
| Nevada | $46,140 | $22.18 | 170 |
| Colorado | $46,120 | $22.17 | 500 |
| Idaho | $45,980 | $22.11 | 170 |
| California | $45,890 | $22.06 | 7,800 |
| Georgia | $45,850 | $22.04 | 940 |
| Michigan | $45,460 | $21.85 | 4,180 |
| Ohio | $45,270 | $21.76 | 5,960 |
| Arizona | $44,990 | $21.63 | 670 |
| Tennessee | $44,710 | $21.50 | 1,340 |
| New Jersey | $44,450 | $21.37 | 860 |
| Delaware | $44,390 | $21.34 | 50 |
| Utah | $44,320 | $21.31 | 400 |
| Rhode Island | $43,650 | $20.99 | 140 |
| Maryland | $43,530 | $20.93 | 160 |
| Virginia | $43,170 | $20.76 | 620 |
| Kansas | $42,710 | $20.53 | 1,010 |
| Mississippi | $42,660 | $20.51 | 430 |
| Texas | $42,250 | $20.31 | 2,960 |
| Montana | $41,740 | $20.07 | 160 |
| Florida | $40,310 | $19.38 | 1,020 |
| Arkansas | $39,590 | $19.03 | 340 |
| South Dakota | $39,060 | $18.78 | 130 |
| Louisiana | $38,650 | $18.58 | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $38,570 | $18.54 | 870 |
| Alabama | $38,170 | $18.35 | 1,500 |
| New Mexico | $38,020 | $18.28 | 30 |
| Puerto Rico | $31,400 | $15.10 | 60 |
Finding a program
How to find a sponsor that trains this title · Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
- Approved titles and terms: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list, Last-Modified October 8, 2026, read October 8, 2026.
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all industries, read October 8, 2026.