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Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners: apprenticeship hours and pay
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Approved apprenticeship titles
8 apprenticeship titles on the Department of Labor's approved list fall under Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners, trained competency-based, hybrid, time-based. The shortest approved term is 2,000 hours, for DIE POLISHER (Nonfer Metal) (competency-based).
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| CARD GRINDER | 0898 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| CYLINDER GRINDER (Prt & Pub) | 0080 | Competency-Based: 10,000 hours Hybrid: 10,000 to 12,500 hours Time-Based: 10,000 hours |
| DIE POLISHER (Nonfer Metal) | 0120 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| GRINDER OP TOOL PRECISION | 0671 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| GRINDER SET-UP OPERATOR, UNIVERSAL | 0974 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| SAW FILER (Any Ind) | 0495 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| TOOL GRINDER I | 0582 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| TOOL GRINDER OPERATOR | 0765 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
Time-based programs count hours on the job; competency-based programs move on when the apprentice shows the skills; hybrid programs use both, within a range of hours (29 CFR 29.5(b)(2)). Each registered program sets its own term inside what the approved title allows.
What tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners earn, by state
Washington has the highest state median for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners ($75,190) and Colorado the lowest ($33,970), across the 35 states with a published figure.
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $75,190 | $36.15 | 410 |
| Oregon | $60,760 | $29.21 | 430 |
| Idaho | $59,250 | $28.49 | 100 |
| Ohio | $56,690 | $27.25 | 190 |
| Massachusetts | $56,600 | $27.21 | 40 |
| Louisiana | $56,380 | $27.11 | 40 |
| Mississippi | $55,510 | $26.69 | 50 |
| Kansas | $54,100 | $26.01 | Not published |
| Missouri | $52,540 | $25.26 | 150 |
| Minnesota | $51,990 | $25.00 | 90 |
| Iowa | $51,760 | $24.88 | 60 |
| California | $51,300 | $24.66 | 620 |
| Wisconsin | $51,240 | $24.64 | 110 |
| South Carolina | $50,220 | $24.15 | 80 |
| Montana | $49,560 | $23.83 | Not published |
| New Jersey | $49,470 | $23.78 | Not published |
| Indiana | $48,700 | $23.41 | 110 |
| Nebraska | $47,360 | $22.77 | 40 |
| New York | $47,070 | $22.63 | 170 |
| Georgia | $46,800 | $22.50 | 240 |
| Maine | $46,750 | $22.48 | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $46,380 | $22.30 | 40 |
| Texas | $46,000 | $22.12 | 530 |
| North Carolina | $45,790 | $22.02 | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $45,600 | $21.92 | 60 |
| Kentucky | $44,170 | $21.23 | 50 |
| Michigan | $43,470 | $20.90 | 260 |
| Alabama | $41,720 | $20.06 | 220 |
| Connecticut | $39,710 | $19.09 | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $39,550 | $19.01 | 170 |
| Arkansas | $38,410 | $18.47 | 160 |
| Virginia | $38,370 | $18.45 | 80 |
| Tennessee | $36,920 | $17.75 | 200 |
| Florida | $36,880 | $17.73 | 120 |
| Colorado | $33,970 | $16.33 | Not published |
Finding a program
The public sponsor file names the organizations that run registered apprenticeships but not the occupations each one trains, so this guide names no sponsor. Search apprenticeship.gov's Apprenticeship Finder for this title, or ask your American Job Center which local programs train it.
Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
Sources: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list (Last-Modified October 8, 2026); BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (all industries; blanks are figures BLS does not publish).