Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production · SOC 51-9021
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-9021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 4.3%
- Medium · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 52/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $48,540
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- 3,500
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change -2.5%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- —
- FY— certified LCAs; 4,007 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
- 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.
Best transitions from here
Explore all pathways→Lower AI-exposure roles that reuse your skills, ranked by a transition score (skills that transfer, safety gain, pay and retraining effort).
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
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 machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.
Common titles: Beveler Operator, Cullet Trucker, Grinder, Grinder Operator, Machine Operator, Machine Tender
Representative Tasks
- •Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- •Clean production equipment.
- •Maintain production or processing equipment.
- •Operate pumping systems or equipment.
- •Operate grinding equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 4.3% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $48,540 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 96/100 | N/A |