Average Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand is $42,660 per year. The middle 50% earn between $37,450 and $49,980, with 10,510 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 40 states and 53 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $33,480
- 25th
- $37,450
- Median
- $42,660
- 75th
- $49,980
- 90th
- $60,810
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
The spread between entry-level and top-end pay is typical for US occupations. Experience and specialization matter, but the range is not unusually wide.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for grinding and polishing workers, hand from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -21.2%
- -2,500 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 800
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- No formal educational credential
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
There are no formal educational requirements for entry. Much of the training happens through experience on the job.
Where Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand earn the most
Location matters a lot. The gap between top-paying and bottom-paying states is large, so where grinding and polishing workers, hand work can reshape their total compensation. Right now, the top-paying state is Vermont at $56,850, about 33.3% above the national median. At the metro level, Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC leads with a median of $65,540.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $56,850 | 50 |
| Minnesota | $51,930 | 120 |
| Rhode Island | $51,630 | 130 |
| Montana | $50,460 | N/A |
| Virginia | $48,830 | 330 |
| Connecticut | $48,670 | 230 |
| Kansas | $48,410 | 100 |
| Maryland | $48,390 | N/A |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $65,540 | 130 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $58,950 | 70 |
| Madison, WI | $56,160 | 60 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $53,620 | 60 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $52,890 | 60 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $51,770 | 90 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $51,680 | 100 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $51,630 | 140 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see grinding and polishing workers, hand pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand rose from $30,600 to $42,660, a gain of +39.4% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $30,600 would need to be worth $38,534 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $42,660 is $4,126 above that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of +10.7% in purchasing power.
Real wages have grown strongly, 10.7% above inflation. Workers in this field have meaningfully gained purchasing power.
- Nominal change
- +39.4%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- +10.7%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $42,660
- 2024
- $41,690
- 2023
- $38,940
- 2022
- $36,960
- 2021
- $35,670
- 2020
- $31,750
- 2019
- $30,600
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Cutters And Trimmers, Hand
- $38,020
- Medical Appliance Technicians
- $48,030
Common salary questions for Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Grinding And Polishing Workers, Hand workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.