Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Median $48,750
Occupation · SOC 51-4194
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners: pay and where the jobs are
What tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$50,060 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $53,240
- Median hourly wage
- $24.07
- Mean hourly wage
- $25.59
- Employment
- 5,600
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4194.
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See where your pay falls among tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners nationally and in your state. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
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How much do tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners make?
The median annual wage for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners was $50,060 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,350 and the highest-paid 10% more than $77,170. As an hourly rate, the median is $24.07. About 5,600 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Washington ($75,190), Oregon ($60,760) and Idaho ($59,250). Washington also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners 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 | $35,350 | $16.99 | $2,946 | $2,549 |
| 25th percentile | $40,800 | $19.61 | $3,400 | $2,914 |
| Median | $50,060 | $24.07 | $4,172 | $3,534 |
| 75th percentile | $62,150 | $29.88 | $5,179 | $4,343 |
| 90th percentile | $77,170 | $37.10 | $6,431 | $5,260 |
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners: pay by state
35 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
$56,706 take-home in national prices
2
$52,350 take-home in national prices
3
$52,090 take-home in national prices
Where a median tool grinders, filers, and sharpener paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 410 | $75,190 | $52,330 | $108,720 | $60,683 | $56,706 |
| Oregon | 430 | $60,760 | $44,350 | $81,370 | $46,603 | $45,088 |
| Idaho | 100 | $59,250 | $48,000 | $75,550 | $47,755 | $50,009 |
| Ohio | 190 | $56,690 | $40,450 | $91,890 | $46,615 | $50,246 |
| Massachusetts | 40 | $56,600 | $48,300 | $56,600 | $44,788 | $42,350 |
| Louisiana | 40 | $56,380 | $43,370 | $61,550 | $46,176 | $52,350 |
| Mississippi | 50 | $55,510 | $36,960 | $64,370 | $45,294 | $52,090 |
| Kansas | Not published | $54,100 | $46,950 | $58,510 | $43,430 | $48,219 |
| Missouri | 150 | $52,540 | $42,390 | $61,550 | $42,864 | $47,198 |
| Minnesota | 90 | $51,990 | $35,780 | $76,790 | $41,713 | $42,297 |
| Iowa | 60 | $51,760 | $43,140 | $72,010 | $42,454 | $48,374 |
| California | 620 | $51,300 | $39,480 | $70,960 | $41,615 | $37,586 |
| Wisconsin | 110 | $51,240 | $38,960 | $84,470 | $41,713 | $44,331 |
| South Carolina | 80 | $50,220 | $39,930 | $73,980 | $41,518 | $44,286 |
| Montana | Not published | $49,560 | $39,790 | $60,190 | $40,429 | $42,716 |
| New Jersey | Not published | $49,470 | $37,820 | $72,030 | $40,346 | $37,081 |
| Indiana | 110 | $48,700 | $36,520 | $75,070 | $39,903 | $42,756 |
| Nebraska | 40 | $47,360 | $39,150 | $57,060 | $38,958 | $43,238 |
| New York | 170 | $47,070 | $38,050 | $57,980 | $37,821 | $35,045 |
| Georgia | 240 | $46,800 | $38,520 | $70,200 | $38,197 | $39,667 |
| Maine | 60 | $46,750 | $36,110 | $64,590 | $38,016 | $39,172 |
| New Hampshire | 40 | $46,380 | $39,420 | $64,080 | $39,446 | $37,869 |
| Texas | 530 | $46,000 | $32,200 | $78,620 | $39,141 | $40,328 |
| North Carolina | 160 | $45,790 | $33,280 | $69,250 | $37,654 | $39,919 |
| Oklahoma | 60 | $45,600 | $29,740 | $59,410 | $37,313 | $42,477 |
| Kentucky | 50 | $44,170 | $38,990 | $76,450 | $36,242 | $40,198 |
| Michigan | 260 | $43,470 | $30,450 | $67,550 | $35,511 | $36,908 |
| Alabama | 220 | $41,720 | $26,970 | $62,710 | $33,997 | $38,275 |
| Connecticut | 130 | $39,710 | $34,080 | $98,180 | $32,576 | $31,441 |
| Pennsylvania | 170 | $39,550 | $29,670 | $62,060 | $32,717 | $33,531 |
| Arkansas | 160 | $38,410 | $29,260 | $67,040 | $32,109 | $36,933 |
| Virginia | 80 | $38,370 | $29,870 | $65,160 | $31,618 | $31,273 |
| Tennessee | 200 | $36,920 | $25,450 | $60,160 | $31,845 | $34,663 |
| Florida | 120 | $36,880 | $32,040 | $46,890 | $31,813 | $30,763 |
| Colorado | Not published | $33,970 | $33,350 | $36,670 | $28,539 | $27,694 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 51-4194. *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.