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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Grind, sand, or polish, using hand tools or hand-held power tools, a variety of metal, wood, stone, clay, plastic, or glass objects. Includes chippers, buffers, and finishers.

Also called: Buffer, Casting Finisher, Chipper, Finisher, Grinder, Jewelry Polisher

Median pay in Greater Boston
$46,550
$22.38/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
100
Massachusetts 2024–2034
−19.5%
20 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
No formal educational credential
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
$37,710$39,520$46,550$54,090$66,100

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

What you’d do

  • Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery.
  • Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools.
  • Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met.
  • Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment.
  • Mark defects, such as knotholes, cracks, and splits, for repair.
  • Study blueprints or layouts to determine how to lay out workpieces or saw out templates.

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 exposure10 of 100

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

  • AIOE 11
  • Language-model AIOE 10
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 10

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. Checking measurements and marking defects are the tasks tools might help with. The grinding, sanding, polishing, and deburring are hands-on and are not touched by AI tools. The bigger pressure on this job comes from automation: federal projections expect fewer manual workers as machines add capacity, and Massachusetts employment is projected to fall 19.5%.

Likely to change

  • Measuring and checking parts against templates
  • Spotting and marking defects for repair

Still relies on people

  • Hand grinding, sanding, and polishing parts
  • Trimming, scraping, and deburring by hand

What federal projections say

“Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as automation increases capacity and reduces the need for as many manual 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.

  • Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

    Checking workpieces for defects and measuring against templates carries over directly. Welding pays more ($63,770) and is projected to grow 4.2%.

    Pay difference
    +$17,220 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Cabinetmakers and Bench Carpenters

    Your eye for quality, fit, and exact dimensions fits this work. It pays $59,120 and is projected to grow 1.2%.

    Pay difference
    +$12,570 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +1.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Painters, Construction and Maintenance

    Smoothing and preparing surfaces carries over to painting. It needs no formal credential, pays $57,820, and is projected to grow 5.5%.

    Pay difference
    +$11,270 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.5%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

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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