Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenderss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $51,380 ≈ $25/hr

National median salary $48,540

Total employment 26,000 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -2.5% Decline

Annual openings 2,700 per year (avg)

Employment 2024→2034 28,700 → 27,900 (-700)

Typical entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

AK ME WI VT NH WA ID MT ND MN IL MI NY MA OR NV WY SD IA IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA UT CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE AZ NM KS AR TN NC SC DC OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL

Mean annual wage $40,000–$46,000 $46,000–$50,000 $50,000–$53,000 $53,000–$57,000 $57,000–$76,000 U.S. mean $51,380

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

Wyoming$75,730
Alaska$63,070
Nevada$61,990
Vermont$60,220
Minnesota$59,990

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

Mississippi$39,770
Arkansas$41,350
Oklahoma$42,730
Kentucky$44,990
Tennessee$45,300

State Rankings

⇄ Compare specific states

#	State	Mean	Median	Hourly	vs. U.S.	Employment
1	Wyoming	$75,730	$71,300	$36	+47.4%	170
2	Alaska	$63,070	$68,730	$30	+22.8%	60
3	Nevada	$61,990	$60,180	$30	+20.7%	660
4	Vermont	$60,220	$58,890	$29	+17.2%	160
5	Minnesota	$59,990	$56,550	$29	+16.8%	660
6	Maine	$59,700	$54,080	$29	+16.2%	150
7	New York	$59,290	$58,090	$29	+15.4%	950
8	Utah	$58,940	$51,770	$28	+14.7%	260
9	Iowa	$57,770	$62,590	$28	+12.4%	1,420
10	Nebraska	$56,940	$58,920	$27	+10.8%	270
11	West Virginia	$56,690	$58,760	$27	+10.3%	160
12	Oregon	$56,250	$55,600	$27	+9.5%	490
13	Wisconsin	$55,720	$54,580	$27	+8.4%	530
14	Montana	$55,610	$60,110	$27	+8.2%	260
15	Idaho	$54,660	$51,500	$26	+6.4%	370
16	Washington	$54,180	$48,020	$26	+5.4%	470
17	Pennsylvania	$53,660	$52,560	$26	+4.4%	980
18	North Dakota	$53,650	$49,280	$26	+4.4%	310
19	Connecticut	$53,330	$53,130	$26	+3.8%	200
20	Indiana	$52,830	$51,150	$25	+2.8%	920
21	New Hampshire	$52,710	$50,360	$25	+2.6%	130
22	Massachusetts	$52,020	$50,110	$25	+1.2%	370
23	Alabama	$51,610	$51,920	$25	+0.4%	610
24	Kansas	$51,490	$48,570	$25	+0.2%	470
25	Arizona	$51,190	$50,270	$25	-0.4%	—
26	Missouri	$51,140	$48,840	$25	-0.5%	750
27	Colorado	$50,170	$46,950	$24	-2.4%	520
28	California	$49,770	$45,870	$24	-3.1%	2,370
29	South Dakota	$49,630	$48,330	$24	-3.4%	120
30	Illinois	$49,410	$48,290	$24	-3.8%	710
31	Michigan	$49,410	$46,500	$24	-3.8%	670
32	Florida	$49,350	$46,950	$24	-4%	520
33	New Jersey	$48,870	$46,690	$24	-4.9%	560
34	Ohio	$47,960	$43,850	$23	-6.7%	1,590
35	Georgia	$47,850	$45,920	$23	-6.9%	800
36	North Carolina	$47,470	$46,270	$23	-7.6%	560
37	New Mexico	$46,510	$45,760	$22	-9.5%	170
38	South Carolina	$46,460	$45,280	$22	-9.6%	330
39	Louisiana	$46,290	$44,900	$22	-9.9%	200
40	Virginia	$46,110	$45,560	$22	-10.3%	530
41	Texas	$45,810	$45,090	$22	-10.8%	1,440
42	Maryland	$45,610	$42,280	$22	-11.2%	140
43	Tennessee	$45,300	$42,950	$22	-11.8%	1,290
44	Kentucky	$44,990	$42,520	$22	-12.4%	200
45	Oklahoma	$42,730	$38,380	$21	-16.8%	390
46	Arkansas	$41,350	$38,910	$20	-19.5%	520
47	Mississippi	$39,770	$37,420	$19	-22.6%	170

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 189 metro areas.

#	Metro area	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Western Wyoming nonmetropolitan area	$108,800	$93,580	60
2	Duluth, MN-WI	$84,310	$80,680	60
3	Balance of Nevada nonmetropolitan area	$78,710	$73,720	320
4	Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area	$77,090	$69,080	110
5	East Georgia nonmetropolitan area	$72,560	$63,090	30
6	Eastern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area	$71,300	$68,240	80
7	Alaska nonmetropolitan area	$68,730	$61,530	40
8	Upper Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area	$68,490	$63,700	60
9	Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN	$66,800	$60,620	70
10	Corpus Christi, TX	$66,540	$58,740	40

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenderss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#	Industry	Median	Mean	Employment
1	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$112,860	$88,000	30
2	Metal Ore Mining	$78,710	$74,120	460
3	Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)	$71,960	$68,710	—
4	Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation)	$71,960	$68,710	—
5	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	$63,970	$59,530	100
6	Coal Mining	$63,300	$65,830	270
7	Paper Manufacturing	$62,490	$63,280	410
8	Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS	$61,530	$62,030	210
9	Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS	$61,530	$62,030	210
10	Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS	$61,530	$62,030	210
11	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$61,080	$64,450	310
12	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$60,900	$63,690	100

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders make in the U.S.?

The median crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders salary in the United States is $48,540 per year (mean $51,380), and about 80% earn between $36,520 and $69,240.

How much do crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders make per hour?

Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $51,380 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders the most?

Wyoming has the highest average pay for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders at $75,730 per year (median $71,300).

What is the job outlook for crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders?

Employment is projected to change -2.5% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 2,700 openings per year.