Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $48,540 Median per year · $23.34/hr Most earn $36,520–$69,240

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Tend accessory equipment, such as pumps and conveyors, to move materials or ingredients through production processes.
  • Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.
  • Read work orders to determine production specifications and information.
  • Examine materials, ingredients, or products, visually or with hands, to ensure conformance to established standards.
  • Set mill gauges to specified fineness of grind.
  • Notify supervisors of needed repairs.

Job outlook

United States
2% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 2,300 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing17.6%
  • Grain and oilseed milling16.0%
  • Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying9.8%
  • Animal slaughtering and processing4.2%
  • Merchant wholesalers, durable goods3.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 6 months to 1 year

This is an entry-level job. Most people start with a high school diploma and learn the machines on the job, usually reaching this role after about 6 months to 1 year of related work.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school with strong math and shop or science classes, which help you read measurements and understand how machines work.

  2. Machine Feeders and Offbearers

    1-3 months

    Start as a feeder or helper who loads materials into machines and removes finished product, learning the equipment and safety rules up close.

  3. Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setter, Operator, or Tender

    6 months to 1 year total on the job

    Once you know the work, you set up, run, and monitor crushing, grinding, or polishing machines and check that the output meets specifications.

Where it can lead

  1. Grinding Machine Setter

    1-3 years of experience first

    Move into setting up and running grinding and polishing equipment for metal or plastic parts, which takes more precision and tooling knowledge.

  2. Production Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    Lead a team on the production floor, schedule work, and track quality and safety; this usually requires strong communication skills and proven machine experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take shop, math, and physical science classesThese build the measuring, reading, and machine-basics skills that employers look for in production work.
  • Join a career or technical education (CTE) programMany schools offer manufacturing or machining courses where you can use real equipment under supervision.
  • Get a part-time or summer job at a warehouse, factory, or food plantAny hands-on production job teaches you teamwork, pace, and workplace safety, which this career depends on.
  • Volunteer or help with school or community projects that involve toolsBuilding or repairing things shows you enjoy hands-on work and gives you examples to mention in job applications.

In college

  • Take courses in manufacturing, industrial technology, or materialsClasses about how materials like glass, stone, or grain behave when processed help you understand the work you would be doing.
  • Earn a basic safety certification, such as OSHA 10-hour General IndustryMany employers value this credential because it shows you already know workplace hazard rules.
  • Work a campus job in a dining hall, lab, or maintenance crewEquipment-based or production-style campus work gives you practice following procedures and running machines safely.
  • Join a manufacturing or engineering student clubClubs often tour plants and build projects, helping you learn how production lines run and meet people in the industry.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a shop or plant about job openings as a machine feeder or helper; many employers train people from scratch and this is a common first step.
  • Get comfortable with basic math, such as fractions and measurements, because you will check settings and output against specifications.
  • Learn and follow safety rules early, since machines like grinders and crushers have real hazards, and employers value workers who are careful.

Related jobs that often lead here

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

Related careers