Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Also called: Abrasive Grinder, Air Bag Buffer, Air Chipper, Automatic Blocker, Automatic Buffer, Automatic Corn Grinder Operator, Automatic Grinding Machine Operator, Automatic Pattern Edger
Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.
What Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders do
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Inspect chains, belts, or scrolls for signs of wear.
- Clean work areas.
- Examine materials, ingredients, or products, visually or with hands, to ensure conformance to established standards.
- Read work orders to determine production specifications and information.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary
The median annual wage for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $48,540 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $36,520 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $69,240. The mean annual wage is $51,380.
The mean hourly wage of $24.00 is 3.3× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $48,540 → in 3 years $52,800 → in 5 years $55,800 → in 10 years $64,100 (10-year range $55,200–$74,500). The model assumes pay growth of +2.8% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.