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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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.

Also called: Cell Operator, Centerless Grinder Operator, Deburrer, Die Maintenance Technician (Die Maintenance Tech), Finisher, Grinder

Median pay in Greater Boston
$51,070
$24.56/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,630
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−7.8%
200 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$40,630$46,100$51,070$60,380$75,340

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
  • Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
  • Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
  • Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
  • Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications.
  • Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure14 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 16
  • Language-model AIOE 11
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 16

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools could help with checking measurements and tracking specifications, but setting up grinders, watching for problems, and finishing metal and plastic parts are hands-on tasks. Federal projections expect more automated and programmable machines to take over some tasks, and Massachusetts job numbers are expected to fall (-7.8%) through 2034.

Likely to change

  • Checking measurements against product specifications
  • Tracking and recording machine settings

Still relies on people

  • Watching machines and fixing problems as they appear
  • Hands-on grinding, honing, and finishing of parts

What federal projections say

“Productivity change - share decreases as manufacturers are expected to use more CNC, automated, and programmable machinery to perform some functions or tasks previously done by these workers.”
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, factors affecting this job (U.S.)

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Automotive Body and Related Repairers

    Grinding, sanding, and smoothing surfaces and inspecting finished work are core skills here. This job offers a Boston median pay of $59,630.

    Pay difference
    +$8,560 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +3.3%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

    Measuring workpieces and examining them for defects carries over. Welding offers a median pay of $63,770 and projected growth of 4.2%.

    Pay difference
    +$12,700 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

    You already adjust machine controls and measure products to meet specifications. This job uses the same skills and has projected growth of 3.9%.

    Pay difference
    +$150 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +3.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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