Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

51-4033 Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
70,450 1.8 % $15.79 $32,840 0.6 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $9.95 $12.08 $15.04 $18.47 $22.68
Annual Wage (2) $20,690 $25,130 $31,280 $38,430 $47,180


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Foundries 7,020 5.92 $14.79 $30,770
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing 6,800 2.06 $15.05 $31,310
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 6,250 2.47 $16.85 $35,050
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities 5,460 4.28 $15.03 $31,270
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 5,140 3.16 $16.73 $34,810

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Foundries 7,020 5.92 $14.79 $30,770
Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing 2,160 5.36 $16.29 $33,880
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities 5,460 4.28 $15.03 $31,270
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 5,140 3.16 $16.73 $34,810
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 6,250 2.47 $16.85 $35,050

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (8) (8) $27.61 $57,430
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing 3,550 0.75 $19.15 $39,840
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing 530 0.89 $17.61 $36,620
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing 770 0.87 $17.59 $36,580
Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing 1,710 1.80 $17.58 $36,560


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 8,450 0.60 1.10 $13.91 $28,940
Ohio 4,950 0.99 1.81 $16.44 $34,190
Pennsylvania 4,390 0.79 1.44 $16.99 $35,340
Texas 4,360 0.42 0.77 $13.55 $28,180
Illinois 3,880 0.70 1.27 $17.12 $35,610




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New Hampshire 1,200 1.98 3.60 $16.20 $33,690
Indiana 3,850 1.39 2.54 $16.09 $33,470
Wisconsin 3,590 1.36 2.47 $16.10 $33,490
Iowa 1,870 1.29 2.35 $15.42 $32,070
Rhode Island 510 1.14 2.07 $14.39 $29,920




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 70 0.22 0.40 $22.35 $46,490
Maine 240 0.42 0.76 $20.99 $43,660
South Carolina 1,550 0.87 1.59 $20.17 $41,960
Connecticut 1,170 0.73 1.33 $18.22 $37,900
Oregon 840 0.53 0.97 $17.38 $36,150





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 3,650 0.96 1.74 $13.70 $28,490
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 2,370 0.66 1.21 $17.32 $36,020
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI 1,530 0.90 1.63 $17.24 $35,870
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 1,420 0.56 1.01 $13.08 $27,200
Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA Metropolitan Division 1,370 0.99 1.80 $13.63 $28,340
Pittsburgh, PA 1,280 1.15 2.09 $16.96 $35,270
Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, OH 1,220 1.25 2.27 $17.16 $35,700
Warren-Troy-Farmington Hills, MI Metropolitan Division 1,170 1.12 2.05 $17.52 $36,440
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 1,100 1.38 2.52 $16.38 $34,070
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 900 0.18 0.32 $15.69 $32,630




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Carson City, NV 240 9.10 16.57 $17.00 $35,360
Michigan City-La Porte, IN 200 4.77 8.68 $14.99 $31,170
Anniston-Oxford, AL 180 3.89 7.09 $15.35 $31,920
Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 320 3.70 6.74 $16.90 $35,140
Rockford, IL 410 2.96 5.39 $15.43 $32,090
Elmira, NY 110 2.84 5.18 $16.69 $34,720
Columbus, IN 110 2.60 4.73 $14.68 $30,540
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI 140 2.41 4.39 $15.47 $32,190
York-Hanover, PA 390 2.28 4.14 $19.58 $40,720
Reading, PA 330 2.00 3.65 $18.30 $38,070




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, MI Metropolitan Division 420 0.61 1.12 $27.00 $56,150
Peabody, MA NECTA Division 80 0.83 1.51 $23.82 $49,550
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 40 0.15 0.28 $22.44 $46,680
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, CT 300 0.73 1.33 $21.52 $44,760
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, ME 60 0.29 0.53 $20.31 $42,250
Evansville, IN-KY 100 0.60 1.09 $20.14 $41,880
Sheboygan, WI 100 1.74 3.18 $20.04 $41,680
York-Hanover, PA 390 2.28 4.14 $19.58 $40,720
Waterbury, CT 40 0.66 1.20 $19.36 $40,270
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ 210 0.63 1.15 $19.16 $39,850

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area 740 3.72 6.78 $14.35 $29,850
Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area 670 4.64 8.44 $16.69 $34,720
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 670 6.44 11.72 $24.86 $51,700
Eastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 620 3.98 7.25 $16.44 $34,200
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 530 1.94 3.53 $15.46 $32,150

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Southwestern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 380 9.67 17.61 $16.32 $33,950
Western New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area 430 7.05 12.84 $17.56 $36,530
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 670 6.44 11.72 $24.86 $51,700
Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area 670 4.64 8.44 $16.69 $34,720
Eastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area 620 3.98 7.25 $16.44 $34,200

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Upper Savannah South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 670 6.44 11.72 $24.86 $51,700
West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area 280 1.57 2.86 $19.95 $41,500
Northwest Massachusetts nonmetropolitan area 30 1.30 2.37 $19.64 $40,850
East Arkansas nonmetropolitan area (8) (8) (8) $18.88 $39,270
Pee Dee South Carolina nonmetropolitan area 120 2.76 5.02 $17.64 $36,700


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(8) Estimate not released.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012