Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
ManufacturingO*NET 51-9021.00United States
Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.
- Median annual earnings
- $48,395
- Projected change
- +1.3%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 26.96K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
81.1% of the workforce
Growing to 27.31K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Weigh or measure materials, ingredients, or products at specified intervals to ensure conformance to requirements.
- Notify supervisors of needed repairs.
- Record data from operations, testing, and production on specified forms.
- Reject defective products and readjust equipment to eliminate problems.
- Clean work areas.
- Inspect chains, belts, or scrolls for signs of wear.
- Examine materials, ingredients, or products, visually or with hands, to ensure conformance to established standards.
- Read work orders to determine production specifications and information.
- Dislodge and clear jammed materials or other items from machinery and equipment, using hand tools.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $36,087
- 25th percentile
- $40,127
- 50th percentile
- $48,395
- 75th percentile
- $60,169
- 90th percentile
- $69,809
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $48,395 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+1.3%average or slower
202526,960 jobs
2035 projected27,312 jobs
352 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 81.1%
- Some college
- 17.7%
- Certificate
- 1.2%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Grinding Machine Operators62 postings
- 02Crusher Operators5 postings
- 03Surface Grinding Machine Operators2 postings
- 04Finishing Machine Operators1 postings
- 05Machine Operators1 postings
- 06Manufacturing Machine Operators1 postings
Top employers
- 01Aerotek5 postings
- 02Synergy Recruiting5 postings
- 03Adecco4 postings
- 04Elite Staffing4 postings
- 05Heraeus2 postings
- 06Key Skilled Personnel2 postings
- 07Osi Industries2 postings
- 08A.R. Mazzotta Employment Specialists1 postings
- 09Accelera1 postings
- 10Accurounds1 postings
- 11Advanced Plastiform1 postings
- 12Align Precision1 postings
- 13Anodyne Corporation1 postings
- 14Ats1 postings
- 15Celerity Staffing Solutions1 postings
- 16Central Arizona College1 postings
- 17Clio Co.,Ltd1 postings
- 18Construction Trucking1 postings
- 19Dura Magnetics1 postings
- 20Eagle Claw1 postings
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