Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: Job Description
Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.
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What Tasks Do Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders span:
- Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.
- Clean, adjust, and maintain equipment, using hand tools.
- Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes.
- Move controls to start, stop, or adjust machinery and equipment that crushes, grinds, polishes, or blends materials.
- Notify supervisors of needed repairs.
- Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements.
- Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms.
- Reject defective products and readjust equipment to eliminate problems.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Abrasive Grinder
- Air Bag Buffer
- Air Chipper
- Automatic Blocker
- Automatic Buffer
- Automatic Corn Grinder Operator
- Automatic Grinding Machine Operator
- Automatic Pattern Edger
Employment and Demand
There are roughly 215,085 crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +5.0% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $39,452 |
| Hourly median | $18.97 |
| 10th percentile | $24,213 |
| 25th percentile | $31,833 |
| 75th percentile | $47,072 |
| 90th percentile | $54,691 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Wyoming | $76,350 |
| Alaska | $66,570 |
| Nevada | $63,960 |
| Iowa | $60,210 |
| Minnesota | $58,150 |
| West Virginia | $54,310 |
| Vermont | $53,760 |
| New York | $53,330 |
| Maine | $52,880 |
| Connecticut | $52,860 |
| Nebraska | $52,620 |
| Illinois | $51,860 |
| New Jersey | $50,820 |
| Utah | $50,440 |
| Washington | $49,920 |
| Oregon | $49,820 |
| Wisconsin | $49,710 |
| Indiana | $49,290 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,050 |
| New Hampshire | $48,780 |
| Idaho | $48,660 |
| Massachusetts | $48,630 |
| South Dakota | $48,320 |
| Missouri | $48,090 |
| Arizona | $48,040 |
| North Dakota | $47,900 |
| Kentucky | $46,940 |
| Michigan | $46,760 |
| Montana | $46,490 |
| Kansas | $46,320 |
| California | $45,950 |
| Colorado | $45,930 |
| Louisiana | $45,460 |
| Florida | $44,370 |
| Virginia | $43,680 |
| North Carolina | $43,380 |
| New Mexico | $43,240 |
| Tennessee | $41,600 |
| Oklahoma | $39,660 |
| Ohio | $39,570 |
| Maryland | $39,250 |
| Texas | $38,580 |
| Georgia | $38,560 |
| Arkansas | $37,690 |
| South Carolina | $37,400 |
| Alabama | $35,920 |
| Mississippi | $35,780 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,940 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plains States | $54,999 | 16.0% | 3.95 |
| New England | $50,806 | 5.7% | 1.57 |
| Middle Atlantic | $50,277 | 10.1% | 0.74 |
| Far Western US | $49,174 | 14.2% | 0.92 |
| Rocky Mountains | $49,083 | 6.7% | 1.91 |
| Great Lakes | $46,046 | 15.1% | 1.36 |
| Southeast | $41,217 | 25.0% | 1.42 |
| Southwest | $39,052 | 6.7% | 0.71 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth, MN-WI | MN | $81,770 | 80 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | NY | $66,640 | 80 |
| Wheeling, WV-OH | WV | $65,820 | 30 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $64,510 | 180 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | NE | $64,110 | 270 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | MO | $62,960 | 190 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | IN | $62,730 | 190 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | IA | $62,640 |
Top Industries Employing Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
The bulk of crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 19,280 | $46,110 |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 3,420 | $58,340 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,390 | $42,490 |
| Construction | 1,230 | $49,450 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 820 | $41,450 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 240 | $46,150 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 170 | $37,630 |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 160 | $45,760 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Freedom to Make Decisions
- Health and Safety of Other Workers
Getting Started in This Career
Most crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Short)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (Primary-Short)
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9021.00 (Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders).
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