Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
Hand Grinding And Polishing Workers
Hand Grinding And Polishing Workers 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.
Table of contents
What they do
Hand Grinding And Polishing Workers 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.
- Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools.
- Verify the quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery.
- Move controls to adjust, start, or stop equipment during grinding and polishing processes.
- File grooved, contoured, and irregular surfaces of metal objects, such as metalworking die and machine parts, to conform to templates, other parts, layouts, or blueprint specifications.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Hand Grinding and Polishing Workers record products and processing data on specified forms. They grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools.
A typical day for a Hand Grinding and Polishing Worker will also include:
- Transfer equipment, objects, or parts to specified work areas, using moving devices.
- Move controls to adjust, start, or stop equipment during grinding and polishing processes.
- Repair and maintain equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools.
- Verify the quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery.
- Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Hand Grinding and Polishing Workers also clean brass particles from files by drawing file cards through file grooves. They may also fill cracks or imperfections in marble with wax that matches the stone color.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Hand Grinding and Polishing Workers wash grit from stone, using hoses. They might also measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met.
In addition, they apply solutions and chemicals to equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them study blueprints or layouts to determine how to layout workpieces or saw-out templates.
To some Hand Grinding and Polishing Workers, it is also their responsibility to select files or other abrasives, according to materials, sizes, and shapes of workpieces, amount of stock to be removed, finishes specified, and steps in finishing processes.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
61% said they were satisfied with their job and 46% said they found their job meaningful.
Pros
Suitable for people who like practical and hands-on work.
Suitable for people who want to work in a supportive work environment.
It is very easy to get into this career. Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required to get started.
Normal working hours (40 hours per week).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to help and teach others.
One of the lowest paying jobs.
Demand for this career is not growing.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Hand Grinding And Polishing Workers with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $23,360 to $27,170 per year or $11 to $13 per hour.
Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
---|---|---|
Highest (Top 10%) | $49,770 | $24 |
Senior (Top 25%) | $39,310 | $19 |
Median | $31,750 | $15 |
Junior (Bottom 25%) | $27,170 | $13 |
No experience (Bottom 10%) | $23,360 | $11 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Hand Grinding And Polishing Workers based on their average annual salary.
Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
---|---|---|
Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance | $48910 | $23.51 |
Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | $45620 | $21.93 |
Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors | $43000 | $20.68 |
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $42400 | $20.39 |
Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $41890 | $20.14 |
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $40030 | $19.25 |
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | $39710 | $19.09 |
Building Finishing Contractors | $39710 | $19.09 |
Jewelry, Luggage, and Leather Goods Stores | $39600 | $19.04 |
Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | $39580 | $19.03 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Hand Grinding And Polishing Workers work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Hand Grinding And Polishing Workers including the average salary in that industry.
Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
---|---|---|---|
Employment Services | 7610 | $29790 | $14.32 |
Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 1730 | $36750 | $17.67 |
Foundries | 1440 | $33810 | $16.26 |
Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1240 | $32570 | $15.66 |
Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 1170 | $34210 | $16.45 |
Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 1070 | $34880 | $16.77 |
Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 1070 | $38240 | $18.39 |
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 1050 | $36730 | $17.66 |
Ship and Boat Building | 1010 | $37730 | $18.14 |
Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 870 | $31470 | $15.13 |
What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
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Telephone
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Group discussions
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Public speaking
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Level of competition
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What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They like working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
They also like following set procedures and routines. They like working with data and details more than with ideas.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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