Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Career, Salary and Skills
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $48,540 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 26,000. Wage data is published for 168 locations.
Occupation description
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
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$48,540
Hourly median
$23.34
Employment
26,000
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
$36,520
10th
$40,430
25th
$48,540
Median
$60,040
75th
$69,240
90th
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Active Listening | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | 3.00 | 2.88 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.
Technology
- Email software
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Word
- SAP software
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in CAMedian $45,870 · Employment 2,370
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in OHMedian $43,850 · Employment 1,590
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in TXMedian $45,090 · Employment 1,440
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in IAMedian $62,590 · Employment 1,420
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in TNMedian $42,950 · Employment 1,290
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in PAMedian $52,560 · Employment 980
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in NYMedian $58,090 · Employment 950
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in INMedian $51,150 · Employment 920
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in New York, NYMedian $50,400 · Employment 830
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in GAMedian $45,920 · Employment 800
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in MOMedian $48,840 · Employment 750
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in ILMedian $48,290 · Employment 710
Related careers
- Maintenance Workers, MachineryNational median $60,850
- Industrial Machinery MechanicsNational median $64,520
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticNational median $46,330
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticNational median $50,620
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and TendersNational median $43,220
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and PlasticNational median $46,170
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and TendersNational median $46,460
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and TendersNational median $43,530
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.