Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic resume
What the work involves, what it pays, and grounded tasks, skills, tools, and experience you can choose from.
Also called grinding lapping polishing and buffing machine tool setters operators and tenders metal and plastic, grinding machine operator, grinding machine tender and grinding wheel dresser.
$46,550
Median pay a year
67,000
People do this work
6
Resume lines ready for you
Real figures for this work, and lines you can use in your own resume. Where they come from is at the foot of this page.
An example
A Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic resume, filled in
Common skills that can help you remember what you used on the job.
Operating grinding equipment
Measuring product dimensions
Setting fixtures
Reviewing blueprints and instructions
Reading work orders or instructions
Watching operating equipment
Calculating equipment
Selecting production equipment
Laying out parts
Feeding materials or products
Mounting attachments or tools
Mounting materials or workpieces
Every line comes from the same public record as the rest of this page. The greyed parts are the ones only you can answer.
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic
Summary
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine operator setting up and running machines to remove excess material, sharpen edges, and polish metal or plastic workpieces while inspecting and measuring for quality
Experience
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic
Where you worked
Month Year to Month Year
Inspected and measured finished workpieces using gauges and micrometers
Measured workpieces and laid out work with precision measuring devices
Observed machine operations to find problems and made adjustments
Moved machine controls to index workpieces and adjust machines
Studied blueprints and work orders to understand product specifications
Selected machine tooling based on machine and production needs
Activated machine start-up switches to grind, lap, or cut workpieces
Skills
Hands-On Work
Operating grinding equipment, Setting fixtures, Laying out parts, Feeding materials or products
Checking & Planning
Measuring product dimensions, Calculating equipment, Selecting production equipment
Core Skills
Reviewing blueprints and instructions, Reading work orders or instructions, Watching operating equipment
Education
High School Diploma Your school, Year
Yours will not say this. You choose what matches your experience, and every line remains yours to confirm or change.
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What to put on a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic resume
Real duties for this job, already written the way a resume reads. Inside Rung you choose the ones that were yours.
What did you do each day?
Choose what fits, or say your own.
Checked finished work for qualityMeasured workpieces with toolsWatched machines for problemsAdjusted machines for settingsUsed blueprints to follow instructionsSet up and operated grinding tools
becomes
On your resume
Measured workpieces using precision tools to ensure compliance with specifications.
Adjusted machine settings to optimize performance and ensure quality of finished workpieces
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A few lines could show more. Each one is asked, and answered by choosing.
Show what improved once the measurements were taken.
The line
Measured workpieces with precision tools, improving quality to meet specifications.
Show what improved once the measurements were taken.
Pick one that fits
Quality of workpieces improvedFewer defects were foundProduction speed increased
Or add your own.
In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
Mention if you were trusted to make adjustments independently.
The line
Adjusted machine settings to optimize performance and ensure quality of finished workpieces
Mention if you were trusted to make adjustments independently.
Pick one that fits
I trained others on adjustmentsI handled adjustments during shifts
Or add your own.
In your wordsAdd it
Adding it to the line…
Added to your resume
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The work itself
What a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic does
The public record of what this job is, in one paragraph.
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.
What it pays
How much does a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic make?
Annual pay across the United States. The middle figure is the median: half earn less than that, and half earn more.
25th percentile
$39,390
Median
$46,550
75th percentile
$54,290
About 67,000 people do this work in the United States.
What it pays in each state
State
25th percentile
Median
75th percentile
AL
$33,700
$38,170
$46,610
AR
$37,670
$39,590
$47,220
AZ
$38,420
$44,990
$49,630
CA
$39,440
$45,890
$53,820
CO
$39,750
$46,120
$52,590
CT
$39,080
$48,590
$58,720
DE
$38,360
$44,390
$44,390
FL
$36,820
$40,310
$48,120
GA
$38,380
$45,850
$52,990
IA
$41,280
$46,380
$50,390
ID
$38,940
$45,980
$46,760
IL
$40,190
$46,180
$54,000
IN
$42,730
$47,310
$51,030
KS
$37,290
$42,710
$46,400
KY
$42,790
$49,160
$58,490
LA
$33,380
$38,650
$45,970
MA
$45,440
$50,910
$60,380
MD
$36,260
$43,530
$48,580
ME
$42,950
$47,230
$50,950
MI
$38,210
$45,460
$56,160
MN
$46,840
$51,780
$60,560
MO
$40,010
$46,270
$59,440
MS
$36,650
$42,660
$63,620
MT
$38,180
$41,740
$46,660
NC
$38,210
$47,770
$53,760
ND
$47,210
$47,670
$52,170
NE
$38,980
$48,500
$49,680
NH
$41,390
$46,580
$50,910
NJ
$36,300
$44,450
$51,540
NM
$36,670
$38,020
$45,100
NV
$40,580
$46,140
$51,110
NY
$43,590
$49,290
$60,270
OH
$38,480
$45,270
$52,000
OK
$34,920
$38,570
$49,910
OR
$47,290
$57,290
$67,150
PA
$40,090
$47,650
$53,090
PR
$27,060
$31,400
$42,970
RI
$38,480
$43,650
$60,510
SC
$45,020
$48,040
$58,340
SD
$31,710
$39,060
$43,590
TN
$37,860
$44,710
$48,540
TX
$36,920
$42,250
$46,460
UT
$38,540
$44,320
$50,800
VA
$34,760
$43,170
$47,830
VT
$50,280
$50,640
$59,420
WA
$45,130
$49,300
$59,250
WI
$41,190
$47,330
$55,430
WV
$37,750
$49,950
$58,270
WY
$46,280
$46,800
$47,800
Other names
Other names for this job
grinding lapping polishing and buffing machine tool setters operators and tenders metal and plastic, grinding machine operator, grinding machine tender, grinding wheel dresser, grinding wheel facer, grinding wheel operator, abrasive worker, air grinder, aluminum polisher, automatic grinder operator, axle bearing polisher, axle polisher.
More names for this work
balance screwhead polisher, band reamer machine operator, band saw filer, barrel centerer, barrel polisher, bearing grinder, bearingizer, belt polisher, belt tech, belt technician, bench grinder, bevel face stoner and polisher, bevel polisher, billet grinder, bit grinder, bit sharpener, bit sharpener operator, blade filer, blade grinder, blade groover, blade sharpener, body finisher, bottom polisher, bottom sander, brass buffer, brass burnisher, brass finisher, brass polisher, broach grinder, brush polisher, buffer, bufferer, buffing line set up worker, buffing machine operator, buffing machine tender, burnisher, burnishing machine operator, burr bench hand, burr bench operator, burr filer, burr machine operator, burr sander, burrer, burrer operator, burring machine operator, burring wheel operator, castings trimmer, cell operator.
What you can already claim
Starting a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic resume with no experience
Below are the tasks a Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic job is made of. Choose the ones you have really done. There is no wrong answer here, and you can change any of it later.
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Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic
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This page is about the occupation Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic. What this job involves and what it is made of come from O*NET 30.3, the US Department of Labor's occupation database, refreshed July 2026; Rung writes those records into the plain sentences you see. Pay comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS release for 2025. How Rung handles accuracy is on the accuracy page, and the full data credits are on the credits page.