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Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Production · SOC 51-4033
0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$46,550
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
7,400
Proj. Annual Openings
67,000
Employment (OEWS 2025)
-2.3%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-4033 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $46,550
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 7,400
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -12.0%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 8,649 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Operations MonitoringOperation and ControlQuality Control AnalysisReading ComprehensionMonitoring
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure0.7%
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
15.5%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI6.5%
AI ability · AIOE40%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne95%
Top Skills
1.Operations Monitoring
2.Operation and Control
3.Quality Control Analysis
4.Reading Comprehension
5.Monitoring
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →No H-1B certified LCA filings recorded for this occupation in FY2016–FY2025.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Cell Operator, Centerless Grinder Operator, Deburrer, Die Maintenance Technician, Finisher, Grinder
Representative Tasks
- •Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
- •Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
- •Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
- •Move machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings.
- •Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
- •Lay out parts to prepare for assembly.
- •Watch operating equipment to detect malfunctions.
- •Operate grinding equipment.
- •Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
Tools & Technologies
Autodesk AutoCAD · hotMicrosoft Excel · hotMicrosoft Office software · hotMicrosoft Windows · hotSAP software · hot
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
15
Occupations Shown
0.5%
Avg AI Exposure
1
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Multi-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 51-4033: 2019 — employment: 76,810, median wage: $36,100; 2020 — employment: 69,570, median wage: $36,880; 2021 — employment: 67,750, median wage: $37,550; 2022 — employment: 73,800, median wage: $38,910; 2023 — employment: 75,260, median wage: $42,610; 2025 — employment: 67,000, median wage: $46,550.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $46,550 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |