Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Median $46,330
Occupation · SOC 51-4033
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: pay and where the jobs are
What grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$46,550 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $48,170
- Median hourly wage
- $22.38
- Mean hourly wage
- $23.16
- Employment
- 67,000
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4033.
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How much do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic make?
The median annual wage for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic was $46,550 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,110 and the highest-paid 10% more than $62,600. As an hourly rate, the median is $22.38. About 67,000 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Oregon ($57,290), Minnesota ($51,780) and Massachusetts ($50,910). After taxes and local prices, though, a median paycheck goes furthest in West Virginia.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,110 | $17.36 | $3,009 | $2,600 |
| 25th percentile | $39,390 | $18.94 | $3,283 | $2,819 |
| Median | $46,550 | $22.38 | $3,879 | $3,299 |
| 75th percentile | $54,290 | $26.10 | $4,524 | $3,817 |
| 90th percentile | $62,600 | $30.10 | $5,217 | $4,373 |
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic: pay by state
49 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$45,670 take-home in national prices
2
$45,507 take-home in national prices
3
$44,452 take-home in national prices
Where a median grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | 1,180 | $57,290 | $41,330 | $75,290 | $44,103 | $42,669 |
| Minnesota | 1,400 | $51,780 | $42,030 | $81,810 | $41,560 | $42,141 |
| Massachusetts | 2,420 | $50,910 | $39,610 | $75,340 | $40,526 | $38,320 |
| Vermont | 300 | $50,640 | $48,360 | $59,960 | $41,607 | $42,474 |
| West Virginia | 200 | $49,950 | $32,130 | $69,760 | $40,873 | $45,670 |
| Washington | 1,870 | $49,300 | $38,630 | $70,320 | $41,109 | $38,415 |
| New York | 2,410 | $49,290 | $37,300 | $73,220 | $39,476 | $36,578 |
| Kentucky | 850 | $49,160 | $37,260 | $73,540 | $40,077 | $44,452 |
| Connecticut | 1,530 | $48,590 | $36,470 | $63,510 | $39,043 | $37,682 |
| Nebraska | 300 | $48,500 | $33,280 | $59,510 | $39,823 | $44,197 |
| South Carolina | 1,730 | $48,040 | $38,540 | $60,050 | $39,911 | $42,572 |
| North Carolina | 1,610 | $47,770 | $34,690 | $58,950 | $39,166 | $41,522 |
| North Dakota | Not published | $47,670 | $47,200 | $65,530 | $40,483 | $45,507 |
| Pennsylvania | 3,830 | $47,650 | $36,540 | $60,040 | $38,971 | $39,940 |
| Wisconsin | 3,570 | $47,330 | $37,030 | $60,540 | $38,764 | $41,197 |
| Indiana | 4,170 | $47,310 | $38,790 | $61,360 | $38,827 | $41,603 |
| Maine | 170 | $47,230 | $37,780 | $56,630 | $38,372 | $39,538 |
| Wyoming | 30 | $46,800 | $44,830 | $55,710 | $39,784 | $42,921 |
| New Hampshire | 600 | $46,580 | $38,730 | $60,020 | $39,607 | $38,023 |
| Iowa | 890 | $46,380 | $38,330 | $70,410 | $38,336 | $43,681 |
| Missouri | 1,210 | $46,270 | $37,140 | $64,030 | $38,121 | $41,975 |
| Illinois | 4,100 | $46,180 | $37,530 | $63,400 | $37,145 | $37,160 |
| Nevada | 170 | $46,140 | $37,550 | $73,040 | $39,253 | $39,262 |
| Colorado | 500 | $46,120 | $37,960 | $58,460 | $37,714 | $36,597 |
| Idaho | 170 | $45,980 | $36,940 | $53,270 | $37,796 | $39,580 |
| California | 7,800 | $45,890 | $36,510 | $62,630 | $37,638 | $33,994 |
| Georgia | 940 | $45,850 | $36,950 | $60,530 | $37,481 | $38,924 |
| Michigan | 4,180 | $45,460 | $35,850 | $60,090 | $37,026 | $38,482 |
| Ohio | 5,960 | $45,270 | $35,730 | $63,620 | $37,753 | $40,694 |
| Arizona | 670 | $44,990 | $37,340 | $57,060 | $37,598 | $37,346 |
| Tennessee | 1,340 | $44,710 | $34,880 | $55,240 | $38,104 | $41,477 |
| New Jersey | 860 | $44,450 | $32,490 | $67,180 | $36,612 | $33,649 |
| Delaware | 50 | $44,390 | $35,700 | $54,200 | $35,883 | $35,952 |
| Utah | 400 | $44,320 | $34,950 | $56,250 | $36,445 | $36,864 |
| Rhode Island | 140 | $43,650 | $37,150 | $70,430 | $35,753 | $34,956 |
| Maryland | 160 | $43,530 | $31,560 | $54,100 | $35,455 | $33,780 |
| Virginia | 620 | $43,170 | $29,310 | $60,410 | $35,199 | $34,815 |
| Kansas | 1,010 | $42,710 | $35,520 | $49,980 | $34,914 | $38,764 |
| Mississippi | 430 | $42,660 | $30,440 | $63,620 | $35,483 | $40,807 |
| Texas | 2,960 | $42,250 | $29,380 | $52,260 | $36,128 | $37,223 |
| Montana | 160 | $41,740 | $34,590 | $53,580 | $34,513 | $36,466 |
| Florida | 1,020 | $40,310 | $34,790 | $56,670 | $34,569 | $33,428 |
| Arkansas | 340 | $39,590 | $33,690 | $50,490 | $33,013 | $37,974 |
| South Dakota | 130 | $39,060 | $31,710 | $51,200 | $33,565 | $37,889 |
| Louisiana | 160 | $38,650 | $30,790 | $55,500 | $32,462 | $36,802 |
| Oklahoma | 870 | $38,570 | $29,290 | $54,590 | $31,981 | $36,407 |
| Alabama | 1,500 | $38,170 | $29,340 | $56,180 | $31,301 | $35,240 |
| New Mexico | 30 | $38,020 | $32,220 | $49,400 | $32,062 | $34,769 |
| Puerto Rico | 60 | $31,400 | $23,790 | $47,830 | — | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4033. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.