Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary: $51,689 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 28,550 crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders nationally earn a mean of $51,689. Employment in the series shown rose about 22% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 0.9% annual growth.
Key Statistics
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: what the data shows
Common questions about crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 51-9021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 28,550 workers.
What does a crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Controlling Machines and Processes, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Handling and Moving Objects, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders make?
BLS national median annual wage: $46,890 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $51,689 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,140 |
| 25th percentile | $40,177 |
| Median (50th) | $47,144 |
| 75th percentile | $61,117 |
| 90th percentile | $74,014 |
What education do you need?
For Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Time Management, Equipment Maintenance, and knowledge areas including Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.9% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 4.6%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 9.3%.
Current U.S. headcount: 28,550.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenderss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 28,550 | 20.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 28,340 | 20.3% |
| Manufacturing | 19,280 | 13.8% |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 10,640 | 7.6% |
| Food Manufacturing | 7,510 | 5.4% |
| Grain and Oilseed Milling | 4,680 | 3.4% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce.
Employment Over Time
28,550 Workforce in 2023
The Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$51,689 Average Wage
In 2023, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earned an average of $51,689.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Salary distribution for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Employment Growth Projections
0.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
9,912 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 4.6%
10,363 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 9.3%
This occupation is projected to grow at 0.9% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Wage Trends by Industry
17.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 2,510 employees, $50,380 avg wage
- IA: 1,970 employees, $56,280 avg wage
- TN: 1,460 employees, $43,880 avg wage
- TX: 1,400 employees, $41,440 avg wage
- OH: 1,300 employees, $43,040 avg wage
- IN: 1,250 employees, $52,900 avg wage
- PA: 1,120 employees, $50,110 avg wage
- NY: 1,050 employees, $56,750 avg wage
- GA: 970 employees, $41,380 avg wage
- MI: 880 employees, $49,520 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 740 employees, $46,740 avg wage
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 670 employees, $56,520 avg wage
- Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 470 employees, $48,090 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 410 employees, $51,950 avg wage
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 380 employees, $41,860 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 380 employees, $41,570 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 370 employees, $54,580 avg wage
- Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN: 360 employees, $42,040 avg wage
- Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN: 350 employees, $43,670 avg wage
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 300 employees, $57,420 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Diversity
Demographic information on Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 was 28,550 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in 2023 were Business Administration, Engineering, Business.
Common majors for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders workers.
Education level distribution for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Skills
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders need many skills, but most especially Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Monitoring, Troubleshooting, Time Management.
Required skills for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Production and Processing, Mechanical, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Mathematics.
Knowledge areas required for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders include Multilimb Coordination, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Rate Control, Reaction Time, Control Precision.
Required abilities for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
Daily Activities
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders spend their time on activities such as Controlling Machines and Processes, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Handling and Moving Objects, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Performing General Physical Activities.
Most important work activities for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
About
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
The average yearly wage for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders was $51,689 in 2023.
SOC Code
51-9021 - Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders reports an average salary of $51,689.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 28,550 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 0.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.