Grinding and Polishing Workers build quality control analysis, operations monitoring and operation and control skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (90%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners | 90% | $50,060 | +17% | None |
| 2 | Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing | 88% | $43,380 | +2% | None |
| 3 | Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 88% | $46,330 | +9% | None |
| 4 | Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 88% | $46,550 | +9% | None |
| 5 | Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 86% | $52,800 | +24% | None |
| 6 | Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood | 84% | $42,770 | 0% | None |
| 7 | Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 83% | $50,620 | +19% | None |
| 8 | Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 82% | $47,180 | +11% | None |
| 9 | Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 82% | $50,140 | +18% | None |
| 10 | Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | 81% | $49,030 | +15% | None |
Compared with Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand, median $42,660. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as grinding and polishing workers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
90% skill match · $50,060 · +17% pay
Operation and Control · Systems Evaluation · Equipment Selection
88% skill match · $43,380 · +2% pay
Installation · Programming · Operation and Control
88% skill match · $46,330 · +9% pay
Operation and Control · Operations Monitoring · Installation
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (90% skill match, median $50,060), Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing (88% skill match, median $43,380) and Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (88% skill match, median $46,330), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 21 pay more than grinding and polishing workers at the median. The biggest increases: Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators (+64%, $70,070), Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters (+47%, $62,620) and Pump Operators, Except Wellhead Pumpers (+45%, $61,770).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.