Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
SOC 51-9022 · 2024-2034
Grind, sand, or polish, using hand tools or hand-held power tools, a variety of metal, wood, stone, clay, plastic, or glass objects. Includes chippers, buffers, and finishers.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -26.3%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $45,464per year
- Projected openings
- 1,100
- Projected change
- -26.3%
- Usually needs
- No formal educational credential
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Operations Monitoring
- Equipment Maintenance
- Operation and Control
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $52,171 | 80 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | $50,858 | 80 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $44,291 | 90 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $44,124 | 510 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $43,265 | 140 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $42,362 | 30 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $42,063 | 240 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $41,901 | 40 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $40,936 | 200 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA (Ventura County) | $39,438 | 50 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $36,873
- A quarter earn under
- $39,399
- Half earn under
- $45,464
- Three quarters earn under
- $52,184
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $66,187
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $46,937 | 5,890 | -14.1% |
| Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | $47,428 | 3,500 | -2.9% |
| Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $47,162 | 3,280 | -6.3% |
| Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $46,917 | 2,180 | -4.2% |
| Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $61,553 | 2,020 | -15.4% |
| Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | $49,556 | 6,410 | -11.7% |