Careers / Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$48,540
United States, 2025
Employment
26,000
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.
- O*NET code
- 51-9021.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
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.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$36,520
25th percentile
$40,430
75th percentile
$60,040
90th percentile
$69,240
Most important skills
- Operation and Control3.9
- Operations Monitoring3.9
- Quality Control Analysis3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Active Listening3.0
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Coordination3.0
- Troubleshooting2.9
- Critical Thinking2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 10 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
10
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.9 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duluth, MN | $84,310 | 60 | 2025 |
| WY | $71,300 | 170 | 2025 |
| AK | $68,730 | 60 | 2025 |
| Lafayette, IN | $66,800 | 70 | 2025 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | $66,540 | 40 | 2025 |
| Sandusky, OH | $65,240 | 30 | 2025 |
| Cedar Rapids, IA | $64,670 | 340 | 2025 |
| Chambersburg, PA | $64,190 | — | 2025 |
| Kalamazoo, MI | $63,970 | 50 | 2025 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $63,800 | 150 | 2025 |
| IA | $62,590 | 1,420 | 2025 |
| Omaha, NE | $61,950 | 130 | 2025 |
| Ogden, UT | $61,860 | 40 | 2025 |
| Medford, OR | $61,830 | 30 | 2025 |
| NV | $60,180 | 660 | 2025 |
| MT | $60,110 | 260 | 2025 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $59,930 | — | 2025 |
| Decatur, AL | $59,920 | 30 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $59,880 | 230 | 2025 |
| New Orleans, LA | $59,320 | 60 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.