Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
High school diploma or equivalent
None
Moderate-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
Based on skills, knowledge, and work activities, these occupations are the closest match to your current career.
Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
Discover metro markets where compensation, hiring demand, and long-term momentum align.
Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders work in a specialized production role with a sizable national workforce of about 29,000 positions. The national median annual salary of $46,890 indicates that this can offer a stable wage for individuals who develop the right technical and physical skills. The role relies on a mix of mechanical ability, fine motor skills, physical strength and stamina, and careful attention to detail, supported by basic science, math, and reading and writing abilities. Problem solving, decision making, and comfort with computers and information technology also contribute to success, particularly as equipment and processes rely on precise settings and controls. Leadership skills can be valuable for workers who want to guide teams or oversee production areas. With a typical education of a high school diploma or equivalent, this occupation can be accessible to those entering the workforce or making a career shift into machine operations-focused work.
The national median annual salary for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders is $46,890. Within this overall picture, earnings differ by location. Among the top states by opportunity score, New York reports a median salary of $58,090, noticeably higher than California at $45,870 and Colorado at $46,950. Massachusetts and Washington show mid-to-upper ranges at $50,110 and $48,020, respectively. At the metro level, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH stands out with a median salary of $51,750, while San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA are also above $50,000. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro reports $50,400. These figures suggest that choosing certain metros or states, particularly New York and several major coastal metro areas, can make a meaningful difference in typical pay for experienced workers in this occupation.
This occupation currently employs about 29,000 workers nationally, with projected employment growth of -2.5%. Despite this projected decline, there are still an estimated 3,000 annual openings. This combination indicates that while overall employment is expected to edge down, there will continue to be ongoing hiring needs, which can reflect turnover, replacements, or shifts among employers. The uniform -2.5% growth rate shown across the top states and metro areas suggests that the outlook is relatively consistent geographically in terms of projected change. For job seekers, the key takeaway is that opportunities still exist even in a contracting field, but competition for the most attractive locations and schedules may be significant. Candidates who bring the listed technical, physical, and problem-solving skills—and who are open to working in regions with stronger opportunity scores—may be better positioned to secure and maintain roles in this career path over time.
Geography plays a clear role in opportunity for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders. Among states, California ranks highest by opportunity score at 67.38, with a median salary of $45,870 and employment of 2,370. New York offers the highest median salary among the top states at $58,090, with employment of 950 and an opportunity score of 65.78. Massachusetts combines a median salary of $50,110 with a 65.87 opportunity score, while Colorado and Washington show mid-range salaries and opportunity scores in the mid-50s. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ lead with opportunity scores above 77, both paying around $50,000 in median salary. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH also offer median salaries above $51,000. These differences indicate that some metros and states provide stronger combinations of pay, employment levels, and opportunity scores than others within this field.
The typical education requirement for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders is a high school diploma or equivalent. This makes the field accessible to individuals who may not have a college degree but are ready to build strong technical and workplace skills. Success in this occupation relies on several key abilities. Fine motor skills, physical strength, and stamina are important for handling equipment and materials. Mechanical skills and comfort with science and mathematics support understanding machine operation and process controls. Being detail oriented, with solid writing and reading skills, helps workers follow instructions and document work accurately. Problem solving and decision making are important for addressing issues that arise during operations, while computers and information technology skills support interaction with modern control systems. Leadership skills can open doors to supervisory roles or team coordination responsibilities over time, building on this high school-level educational foundation.
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