Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
Production
Work involves setting up grinding and polishing machines, mounting the right wheels, and running metal workpieces—dies, parts, and cutting tools—until surfaces and dimensions match the blueprint. You study layouts, compute widths and angles, then inspect and measure each piece, stopping the machine when problems occur. Coolant is directed onto the wheel and workpiece during grinding; wheels themselves get dressed to spec. The work is shop-based and hands-on, with close attention to gauges and feel. It suits people who like precise metalwork, steady machine routines, and checking their own results against tight specifications.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$50'060
Median Wage Market Position
$50'060
What you might do
- Grind metal dies, parts, and cutting tools
- Check surfaces and dimensions by hand and gauge
- Plan machine setups from blueprints and layouts
- Mount the grinding wheel the job calls for
- Stop the grinder when a problem appears
- Aim coolant at the wheel and the workpiece
Skills that matter
- Selecting and mounting grinding wheels
- Feeling and measuring surfaces and dimensions
- Planning grind setups from blueprints
- Dressing grinding wheels to specification
- Directing coolant onto wheels and work
- Stopping machines when the grind fails
AI & the future of this role
Precision grinding and sharpening still lean on tactile feel, tool geometry know-how, and careful finishing that resist full automation. CNC grinders may handle repeatable profiles, but custom edge work and reconditioning judgment remain hard to hand off.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details