184 metro areas
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic Salary by City (2026)
Grinding earn the most in Portland, OR-WA, an average of $59,430 a year, against $48,170 nationally. After local prices, pay goes furthest in Waterloo, IA ($65,150 in national-average dollars). Every metro area with its own BLS estimate is ranked below.
- US average (mean)
- $48,170BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Highest-paying city
- $59,430Portland, OR-WA
- Best after cost of living
- $65,150Waterloo, IA
- Metro areas
- 184With their own estimate
Top cities
Highest-paying cities for grinding
Top 10 metro areas
- Portland, OR-WA$59,430
- Utica, NY$57,890
- Minneapolis, MN-WI$57,800
- Rochester, MN$57,800
- Bend, OR$57,600
- Canton, OH$57,600
- Syracuse, NY$57,220
- Albany, OR$56,760
- Waterloo, IA$56,720
- Seattle, WA$56,310
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $59,430 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $57,890 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $57,800 |
| Rochester, MN | $57,800 |
| Bend, OR | $57,600 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | $57,600 |
| Syracuse, NY | $57,220 |
| Albany, OR | $56,760 |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $56,720 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $56,310 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Mean wage ÷ BEA price level
- Waterloo, IA$56,720 nominal$65,150
- Canton, OH$57,600 nominal$64,430
- Rochester, MN$57,800 nominal$63,640
- St. Cloud, MN$55,160 nominal$62,950
- Utica, NY$57,890 nominal$62,460
- Huntington, WV-KY-OH$53,540 nominal$60,550
- Syracuse, NY$57,220 nominal$59,760
- Spartanburg, SC$54,390 nominal$59,740
- Sandusky, OH$52,690 nominal$59,020
- Springfield, MA$56,160 nominal$58,460
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $65,150 |
| Canton-Massillon, OH | $64,430 |
| Rochester, MN | $63,640 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $62,950 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | $62,460 |
| Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH | $60,550 |
| Syracuse, NY | $59,760 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $59,740 |
| Sandusky, OH | $59,020 |
| Springfield, MA | $58,460 |
Source: BLS OEWS 2025 · BEA RPP 2024
Every city
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic salary in every metro area
Mean annual wage, with the Department of Labor's entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) prevailing-wage benchmarks for the same metro, and the mean at national-average prices. Sorted by mean pay.
| # | Metro area | Mean | Entry (Level I) | Experienced (Level IV) | At US prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland, OR-WA | $59,430 | $44,660 | $66,680 | $56,370 |
| 2 | Utica, NY | $57,890 | $43,580 | $64,920 | $62,460 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN-WI | $57,800 | $45,010 | $64,080 | $55,140 |
| 4 | Rochester, MN | $57,800 | $46,260 | $63,500 | $63,640 |
| 5 | Bend, OR | $57,600 | $47,570 | $62,520 | $55,590 |
| 6 | Canton, OH | $57,600 | $40,850 | $65,830 | $64,430 |
| 7 | Syracuse, NY | $57,220 | $38,250 | $66,560 | $59,760 |
| 8 | Albany, OR | $56,760 | $43,160 | $63,480 | $55,590 |
| 9 | Waterloo, IA | $56,720 | $41,480 | $64,230 | $65,150 |
| 10 | Seattle, WA | $56,310 | $43,760 | $62,460 | $50,670 |
| 11 | Springfield, MA | $56,160 | $41,410 | $63,420 | $58,460 |
| 12 | Longview, WA | $55,810 | $45,140 | $61,070 | $57,210 |
| 13 | Kiryas Joel, NY | $55,290 | $45,090 | $60,320 | $50,530 |
| 14 | Boston, MA-NH | $55,200 | $43,390 | $61,030 | $50,990 |
| 15 | St. Cloud, MN | $55,160 | $45,300 | $60,030 | $62,950 |
| 16 | Bridgeport, CT | $55,100 | $40,560 | $62,250 | $51,560 |
| 17 | Spartanburg, SC | $54,390 | $46,280 | $58,410 | $59,740 |
| 18 | Charleston, SC | $54,200 | $42,240 | $60,110 | $53,680 |
| 19 | Vallejo, CA | $53,890 | $41,790 | $59,840 | $49,680 |
| 20 | Sheboygan, WI | $53,680 | $45,780 | $57,570 | $57,100 |
| 21 | Huntington, WV-KY-OH | $53,540 | $35,760 | $62,320 | $60,550 |
| 22 | Burlington, VT | $53,120 | $48,710 | $55,290 | $52,620 |
| 23 | Oshkosh, WI | $53,020 | $40,100 | $59,360 | $57,050 |
| 24 | Sandusky, OH | $52,690 | $41,600 | $58,140 | $59,020 |
| 25 | San Francisco, CA | $52,310 | $42,720 | $57,030 | $45,250 |
| 26 | Mount Vernon, WA | $52,060 | $42,620 | $56,720 | $50,820 |
| 27 | Staunton, VA | $52,020 | $38,210 | $58,840 | $57,080 |
| 28 | Charlotte, NC-SC | $52,000 | $42,390 | $56,720 | $53,420 |
| 29 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $51,900 | $40,100 | $57,700 | $56,300 |
| 30 | Muskegon, MI | $51,830 | $38,020 | $58,640 | $56,020 |
| 31 | Saginaw, MI | $51,810 | $36,690 | $59,260 | $57,000 |
| 32 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $51,750 | $38,210 | $58,430 | $55,920 |
| 33 | Hartford, CT | $51,360 | $38,980 | $57,450 | $49,990 |
| 34 | Pueblo, CO | $51,210 | $43,200 | $55,160 | $55,810 |
| 35 | Appleton, WI | $51,170 | $41,390 | $55,990 | $55,370 |
| 36 | Asheville, NC | $51,110 | $39,040 | $57,050 | $52,960 |
| 37 | Eau Claire, WI | $50,960 | $41,200 | $55,740 | $54,920 |
| 38 | Bakersfield, CA | $50,750 | $36,320 | $57,870 | $50,300 |
| 39 | Reading, PA | $50,520 | $42,990 | $54,230 | $52,050 |
| 40 | New York, NY-NJ | $50,460 | $37,500 | $56,850 | $44,830 |
| 41 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $50,420 | $38,380 | $56,350 | $53,020 |
| 42 | Milwaukee, WI | $50,210 | $41,700 | $54,410 | $51,800 |
| 43 | San Jose, CA | $50,170 | $42,600 | $53,890 | $45,430 |
| 44 | Spokane, WA | $50,090 | $39,480 | $55,330 | $49,920 |
| 45 | Chicago, IL-IN | $49,730 | $39,250 | $54,890 | $48,000 |
| 46 | Pittsburgh, PA | $49,690 | $40,060 | $54,430 | $52,490 |
| 47 | Peoria, IL | $49,650 | $40,040 | $54,370 | $54,420 |
| 48 | Kenosha, WI | $49,610 | $39,330 | $54,660 | $49,060 |
| 49 | San Diego, CA | $49,420 | $38,670 | $54,700 | $44,170 |
| 50 | Portland, ME | $49,280 | $41,060 | $53,330 | $48,380 |
| 51 | Indianapolis, IN | $49,250 | $39,980 | $53,810 | $51,470 |
| 52 | Dubuque, IA | $49,110 | $43,890 | $51,690 | $56,240 |
| 53 | Janesville, WI | $49,050 | $42,370 | $52,330 | $52,350 |
| 54 | Springfield, MO | $49,050 | $41,120 | $52,960 | $55,370 |
| 55 | Buffalo, NY | $48,980 | $37,540 | $54,620 | $51,100 |
| 56 | Providence, RI-MA | $48,920 | $38,770 | $53,910 | $48,070 |
| 57 | Albany, NY | $48,650 | $39,870 | $52,980 | $48,860 |
| 58 | Philadelphia, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $48,650 | $39,210 | $53,310 | $47,440 |
| 59 | Green Bay, WI | $48,530 | $38,020 | $53,710 | $52,130 |
| 60 | Worcester, MA | $48,480 | $39,750 | $52,790 | $47,290 |
| 61 | Elkhart, IN | $48,400 | $41,910 | $51,600 | $53,580 |
| 62 | Morristown, TN | $48,380 | $34,090 | $55,410 | $56,020 |
| 63 | Las Vegas, NV | $48,360 | $38,290 | $53,330 | $48,260 |
| 64 | Los Angeles, CA | $48,320 | $37,150 | $53,830 | $42,550 |
| 65 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $48,320 | $38,480 | $53,190 | $51,920 |
| 66 | Denver, CO | $48,280 | $39,230 | $52,730 | $45,640 |
| 67 | Provo, UT | $48,260 | $41,450 | $51,600 | $49,130 |
| 68 | Yakima, WA | $48,240 | $39,560 | $52,500 | $50,490 |
| 69 | Detroit, MI | $48,090 | $37,250 | $53,410 | $47,950 |
| 70 | New Haven, CT | $48,090 | $37,770 | $53,190 | $45,990 |
| 71 | Roanoke, VA | $48,070 | $38,210 | $52,920 | $51,350 |
| 72 | Greenville, SC | $48,030 | $38,020 | $52,960 | $51,500 |
| 73 | Richmond, VA | $47,960 | $35,320 | $54,180 | $49,010 |
| 74 | Fort Wayne, IN | $47,900 | $40,330 | $51,650 | $51,740 |
| 75 | Greensboro, NC | $47,880 | $39,100 | $52,210 | $51,560 |
| 76 | Reno, NV | $47,860 | $38,770 | $52,350 | $47,380 |
| 77 | Fond du Lac, WI | $47,840 | $39,400 | $51,980 | $52,200 |
| 78 | Omaha, NE-IA | $47,840 | $40,390 | $51,520 | $52,050 |
| 79 | Lincoln, NE | $47,760 | $41,270 | $50,960 | $52,150 |
| 80 | Norwich, CT | $47,670 | $39,310 | $51,790 | $47,460 |
| 81 | Madison, WI | $47,510 | $39,540 | $51,440 | $48,830 |
| 82 | Oxnard, CA | $47,440 | $37,360 | $52,420 | $42,920 |
| 83 | Augusta, GA-SC | $47,420 | $38,600 | $51,750 | $51,600 |
| 84 | Des Moines, IA | $47,380 | $37,380 | $52,310 | $51,670 |
| 85 | Mansfield, OH | $47,340 | $37,130 | $52,370 | $53,270 |
| 86 | Stockton, CA | $47,320 | $37,380 | $52,230 | $45,030 |
| 87 | Manchester, NH | $47,280 | $39,290 | $51,210 | $44,750 |
| 88 | Davenport, IA-IL | $47,260 | $36,920 | $52,350 | $53,050 |
| 89 | Erie, PA | $47,150 | $33,900 | $53,680 | $51,840 |
| 90 | Orlando, FL | $47,150 | $36,110 | $52,580 | $46,490 |
| 91 | Atlanta, GA | $47,130 | $36,800 | $52,210 | $47,100 |
| 92 | Carson City, NV | $47,070 | $39,790 | $50,650 | $47,970 |
| 93 | Deltona, FL | $47,070 | $37,960 | $51,540 | $47,370 |
| 94 | Columbia, SC | $47,050 | $38,210 | $51,420 | $50,230 |
| 95 | Jackson, MI | $46,900 | $37,460 | $51,540 | $51,100 |
| 96 | Sacramento, CA | $46,820 | $36,710 | $51,810 | $43,890 |
| 97 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $46,630 | $36,690 | $51,520 | $48,890 |
| 98 | Cleveland, OH | $46,450 | $36,520 | $51,330 | $49,460 |
| 99 | Akron, OH | $46,380 | $36,960 | $51,020 | $49,670 |
| 100 | Columbus, OH | $46,340 | $37,900 | $50,500 | $48,540 |
| 101 | Wilmington, NC | $46,340 | $36,650 | $51,130 | $48,060 |
| 102 | Traverse City, MI | $46,300 | $38,060 | $50,360 | $49,590 |
| 103 | Lancaster, PA | $46,280 | $38,810 | $49,960 | $47,100 |
| 104 | Elmira, NY | $46,130 | $36,710 | $50,790 | $48,870 |
| 105 | Phoenix, AZ | $46,130 | $37,790 | $50,230 | $44,650 |
| 106 | Rockford, IL | $46,130 | $36,860 | $50,690 | $50,060 |
| 107 | Lewiston, ID-WA | $46,070 | $40,120 | $49,000 | $50,540 |
| 108 | Rochester, NY | $46,070 | $37,290 | $50,400 | $47,480 |
| 109 | Allentown, PA-NJ | $45,990 | $36,520 | $50,650 | $46,000 |
| 110 | Tyler, TX | $45,950 | $32,950 | $52,350 | $49,860 |
| 111 | Modesto, CA | $45,800 | $38,150 | $49,570 | $43,990 |
| 112 | Prescott Valley, AZ | $45,740 | $36,590 | $50,250 | $46,550 |
| 113 | Racine, WI | $45,700 | $36,630 | $50,150 | $47,620 |
| 114 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $45,680 | $37,520 | $49,670 | $51,350 |
| 115 | Lansing, MI | $45,680 | $37,670 | $49,630 | $48,090 |
| 116 | Battle Creek, MI | $45,510 | $37,420 | $49,500 | $50,260 |
| 117 | Youngstown, OH | $45,450 | $34,760 | $50,690 | $52,010 |
| 118 | Ann Arbor, MI | $45,410 | $35,860 | $50,110 | $45,010 |
| 119 | Binghamton, NY | $45,410 | $36,500 | $49,770 | $48,900 |
| 120 | Riverside, CA | $45,340 | $36,420 | $49,730 | $42,600 |
| 121 | Evansville, IN | $45,320 | $39,400 | $48,260 | $49,510 |
| 122 | Dayton, OH | $45,300 | $35,670 | $50,020 | $48,870 |
| 123 | Toledo, OH | $45,260 | $35,960 | $49,840 | $49,490 |
| 124 | Waterbury, CT | $45,220 | $35,820 | $49,860 | $45,320 |
| 125 | South Bend, IN-MI | $45,180 | $38,480 | $48,480 | $48,650 |
| 126 | Harrisburg, PA | $45,120 | $35,010 | $50,090 | $45,740 |
| 127 | York, PA | $44,970 | $37,670 | $48,550 | $46,840 |
| 128 | Salt Lake City, UT | $44,870 | $35,360 | $49,550 | $44,480 |
| 129 | Terre Haute, IN | $44,780 | $40,440 | $46,920 | $51,000 |
| 130 | Baltimore, MD | $44,760 | $35,090 | $49,520 | $42,840 |
| 131 | Colorado Springs, CO | $44,550 | $37,560 | $48,010 | $44,240 |
| 132 | Nashville, TN | $44,530 | $37,190 | $48,150 | $46,220 |
| 133 | Waco, TX | $44,470 | $34,320 | $49,460 | $48,050 |
| 134 | Florence, SC | $44,390 | $34,840 | $49,110 | $51,160 |
| 135 | Michigan City, IN | $44,390 | $38,540 | $47,280 | $48,420 |
| 136 | Monroe, MI | $44,370 | $35,710 | $48,630 | $47,460 |
| 137 | Coeur d'Alene, ID | $44,280 | $38,110 | $47,320 | $45,050 |
| 138 | Tucson, AZ | $44,120 | $36,050 | $48,090 | $45,530 |
| 139 | Columbus, IN | $43,830 | $38,420 | $46,490 | $47,130 |
| 140 | Kankakee, IL | $43,740 | $37,420 | $46,840 | $45,380 |
| 141 | Austin, TX | $43,700 | $38,330 | $46,340 | $44,560 |
| 142 | Grand Rapids, MI | $43,680 | $36,320 | $47,300 | $45,720 |
| 143 | Washington, DC-VA-MD-WV | $43,640 | $36,440 | $47,170 | $40,080 |
| 144 | Springfield, OH | $43,620 | $35,280 | $47,720 | $48,210 |
| 145 | Greeley, CO | $43,470 | $38,500 | $45,910 | $43,390 |
| 146 | Knoxville, TN | $43,410 | $34,260 | $47,900 | $46,890 |
| 147 | Montgomery, AL | $43,410 | $34,510 | $47,800 | $48,400 |
| 148 | Wausau, WI | $43,410 | $40,080 | $45,050 | $46,850 |
| 149 | North Port, FL | $43,330 | $36,500 | $46,700 | $42,310 |
| 150 | Dallas, TX | $43,180 | $35,130 | $47,150 | $41,890 |
| 151 | Fresno, CA | $43,120 | $37,250 | $46,010 | $42,210 |
| 152 | Tampa, FL | $42,870 | $36,130 | $46,200 | $42,490 |
| 153 | Niles, MI | $42,680 | $35,530 | $46,220 | $46,210 |
| 154 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $42,520 | $36,940 | $45,260 | $46,750 |
| 155 | Jacksonville, FL | $42,430 | $35,070 | $46,070 | $42,650 |
| 156 | Winston, NC | $42,410 | $32,180 | $47,440 | $46,080 |
| 157 | Wichita, KS | $42,370 | $35,940 | $45,550 | $47,640 |
| 158 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $42,220 | $38,330 | $44,140 | $46,160 |
| 159 | Kalamazoo, MI | $42,180 | $37,000 | $44,720 | $44,470 |
| 160 | Hickory, NC | $42,080 | $35,670 | $45,240 | $47,560 |
| 161 | Houston, TX | $42,080 | $32,120 | $47,010 | $42,660 |
| 162 | Miami, FL | $42,040 | $34,440 | $45,760 | $36,830 |
| 163 | San Antonio, TX | $42,040 | $31,280 | $47,340 | $44,390 |
| 164 | Birmingham, AL | $41,850 | $32,550 | $46,450 | $45,670 |
| 165 | Virginia Beach, VA-NC | $41,810 | $34,150 | $45,570 | $42,690 |
| 166 | Beaumont, TX | $41,770 | $31,300 | $46,920 | $46,390 |
| 167 | Tulsa, OK | $41,620 | $32,510 | $46,090 | $46,650 |
| 168 | Scranton, PA | $41,500 | $35,900 | $44,240 | $44,360 |
| 169 | Mobile, AL | $41,310 | $34,840 | $44,490 | $46,890 |
| 170 | Ogden, UT | $41,200 | $34,550 | $44,470 | $41,060 |
| 171 | Anniston, AL | $41,140 | $29,620 | $46,820 | $47,870 |
| 172 | Palm Bay, FL | $41,020 | $33,740 | $44,620 | $41,020 |
| 173 | Flint, MI | $40,750 | $31,530 | $45,280 | $43,800 |
| 174 | Hagerstown, MD-WV | $40,600 | $35,980 | $42,870 | $43,110 |
| 175 | Fayetteville, AR | $39,810 | $34,260 | $42,540 | $43,580 |
| 176 | Lynchburg, VA | $39,730 | $31,200 | $43,950 | $44,460 |
| 177 | Baton Rouge, LA | $39,290 | $31,970 | $42,890 | $43,280 |
| 178 | Killeen, TX | $39,270 | $31,870 | $42,910 | $43,090 |
| 179 | El Paso, TX | $38,940 | $29,040 | $43,800 | $43,310 |
| 180 | Lakeland, FL | $38,690 | $31,280 | $42,330 | $39,830 |
| 181 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $37,810 | $33,450 | $39,960 | $44,020 |
| 182 | Huntsville, AL | $36,880 | $29,140 | $40,710 | $39,630 |
| 183 | Oklahoma City, OK | $36,860 | $29,950 | $40,250 | $40,770 |
| 184 | San Juan, PR | $33,430 | $25,130 | $37,520 | N/A |
More
More on grinding
Method
About these numbers
- Mean wages are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2025 estimates for each metropolitan statistical area, as published in the Department of Labor’s 2026–27 OFLC prevailing-wage file. Only metros with their own BLS estimate are listed.
- Entry (Level I) and experienced (Level IV) are the Department of Labor’s prevailing-wage levels for the occupation in that metro, used for employer visa filings. They are benchmarks from the same OEWS survey, not percentiles.
- OEWS top-codes wages at $115 an hour ($239,200 a year); top-coded means are shown as "$239,200+" and left out of rankings.
- At US prices divides the mean by the metro’s BEA Regional Price Parity (2024) over 100, a NueCareer calculation.
Questions
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic salary by city: FAQ
Which city pays grinding the most?
Portland, OR-WA, where the average (mean) wage is $59,430 a year, followed by Utica, NY ($57,890), Minneapolis, MN-WI ($57,800), Rochester, MN ($57,800). The national mean is $48,170 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do grinding earn the most after cost of living?
Divided by each metro's BEA price level, pay goes furthest in Waterloo, IA ($65,150 at national prices, $56,720 nominal), Canton, OH ($64,430 at national prices, $57,600 nominal), Rochester, MN ($63,640 at national prices, $57,800 nominal).
How much do grinding make in the biggest cities?
New York, NY-NJ: $50,460; Los Angeles, CA: $48,320; Chicago, IL-IN: $49,730; Dallas, TX: $43,180; Houston, TX: $42,080 (mean annual wage, BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do grinding earn the least?
Of the 184 metro areas with their own estimate, San Juan, PR has the lowest mean wage, $33,430.