How much does a tool grinder make an hour?

The median was $24.07 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $25.59.

What education do you need to be a tool grinder?

BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent, with no related experience and moderate-term on-the-job training.

Are tool grinders in demand?

Employment is projected to decline 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, while about 500 openings a year are projected.

What is the highest paying state for tool grinders?

Washington had the highest median at $75,190, then Oregon at $60,760.

All careers › Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Tool grinder: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$50,060median pay per year, or $24.07 an hour, May 2025^[1]

$35,350lowest 10% earn less
$40,80025th percentile
$50,060median
$62,15075th percentile
$77,170top 10% earn more

Middle half of workers in the inner band^[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980^[4]

The median pay for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners was $50,060 a year in May 2025^[1]. Employment is projected to decline 6.8% from 2025 to 2035^[2].

Job growth, 2025–35: -6.8%^[2]
Openings per year: 500^[5]
Typical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent^[6]

How much do tool grinders make?

The median wage for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners was $50,060 a year, or $24.07 an hour^[1]. About half of workers were paid more than this and half were paid less^[1]. The average was $53,240 a year, or $25.59 an hour^[7].

The median for all occupations was $50,980 a year^[4]. The median for this job was a little under that.

The range is wide. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,350 and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $77,170^[3]. The 25th percentile was $40,800 and the 75th was $62,150^[3]. Hourly, the 10th percentile was $16.99 and the 90th was $37.10^[8]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS does not publish a starting salary^[9].

These figures cover wage and salary workers only. They leave out the self-employed and do not count bonuses or the cost of benefits^[10].

Pay by state and city

Washington had the highest state median at $75,190, followed by Oregon at $60,760 and Idaho at $59,250^[11]. Colorado had the lowest listed median at $33,970^[11].

California had the most jobs at 620^[12]. Texas (530), Oregon (430), Washington (410) and Michigan (260) came next^[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA had the highest median at $102,390^[13]. St. Louis, MO-IL ($61,550) and Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ($60,760) followed^[13]. The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area had the most jobs at 290, with a median of $46,580^[14].

Show median pay in 35 states

State	Median per year	Jobs
Washington^[11]	$75,190	410
Oregon	$60,760	430
Idaho	$59,250	100
Ohio	$56,690	190
Massachusetts	$56,600	40
Louisiana	$56,380	40
Mississippi	$55,510	50
Kansas	$54,100	n/a
Missouri	$52,540	150
Minnesota	$51,990	90
Iowa	$51,760	60
California	$51,300	620
Wisconsin	$51,240	110
South Carolina	$50,220	80
Montana	$49,560	n/a
New Jersey	$49,470	n/a
Indiana	$48,700	110
Nebraska	$47,360	40
New York	$47,070	170
Georgia	$46,800	240
Maine	$46,750	60
New Hampshire	$46,380	40
Texas	$46,000	530
North Carolina	$45,790	160
Oklahoma	$45,600	60
Kentucky	$44,170	50
Michigan	$43,470	260
Alabama	$41,720	220
Connecticut	$39,710	130
Pennsylvania	$39,550	170
Arkansas	$38,410	160
Virginia	$38,370	80
Tennessee	$36,920	200
Florida	$36,880	120
Colorado	$33,970	n/a

How to become a tool grinder

BLS describes a short path:

First: finish high school or get an equivalent diploma. This is the education BLS lists for entry^[6].
Next: you do not need related work experience^[6].
Then: learn on the job. BLS lists moderate-term on-the-job training^[6].

O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2, where some jobs need little or no experience and others need several months to a year^[15].

What tool grinders do

Tool grinders smooth, sharpen, polish or grind metal objects with precision^[16]. Typical tasks include:

Watching the machine and stopping it when something goes wrong^[17].
Choosing and mounting grinding wheels to match the specifications^[17].
Setting up and running grinding or polishing machines on parts, dies and tools^[17].
Checking surfaces and dimensions by sight, by feel and with measuring^[17].
Reading blueprints to plan the setup and the order of steps^[17].
Cleaning and oiling machine parts, and replacing worn ones^[17].

Job titles workers report include cutter grinder, saw filer, polisher and crankshaft grinder^[18].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to fall 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 5,800 to 5,400 jobs^[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% over the same period^[19].

Jobs still open up. About 500 openings a year are projected on average, which include workers who retire or move to other occupations as well as new jobs^[5]. Each year, 3.5% of workers leave the labor force and 5.6% move to a different occupation^[20].

Is it a good fit?

The entry bar is a high school diploma with no related experience, plus on-the-job training^[6]. Median pay was close to the all-occupation median, and the spread was wide, from $35,350 at the 10th percentile to $77,170 at the 90th^[1]^[4]^[3]. Employment is projected to shrink, so openings come mainly from workers leaving or changing occupations^[2]^[5]. Location matters a lot, since state medians ran from $33,970 in Colorado to $75,190 in Washington^[11].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a tool grinder make an hour?: The median was $24.07 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $25.59^[1]^[7].
What education do you need to be a tool grinder?: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent, with no related experience and moderate-term on-the-job training^[6].
Are tool grinders in demand?: Employment is projected to decline 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, while about 500 openings a year are projected^[2]^[5].
What is the highest paying state for tool grinders?: Washington had the highest median at $75,190, then Oregon at $60,760^[11].

Facts and sources

BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in the US was $50,060 per year and $24.07 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS Employment Projections: employment of Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners is projected to decline 6.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 5,800 to 5,400 jobs (a change of -400). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners: 10th percentile $35,350, 25th percentile $40,800, 75th percentile $62,150, 90th percentile $77,170. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS Employment Projections: about 500 openings for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners was $53,240 per year and $25.59 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners: 10th percentile $16.99, 25th percentile $19.61, 75th percentile $29.88, 90th percentile $37.10. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
Median annual wage for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners jobs: California 620; Texas 530; Oregon 430; Washington 410; Michigan 260. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (areas with at least 100 jobs): Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA $102,390; St. Louis, MO-IL $61,550; Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $60,760; New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $48,580; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA $46,580; Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI $43,470. BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners jobs: Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 290 (median $46,580); Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 220 (median $60,760); Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 170 (median $102,390); Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI 150 (median $43,470); New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 110 (median $48,580); St. Louis, MO-IL 100 (median $61,550). BLS OEWS, May 2025
O*NET 51-4194.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
O*NET description of Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners. O*NET OnLine
O*NET task list for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners. O*NET OnLine
O*NET 51-4194.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Crankshaft Grinder, Cutter Grind Tool Technician (Cutter Grind Tool Tech), Cutter Grinder, Grinder, Grinder Operator, OD Grinder Operator (Outer Diameter Grinder Operator), Polisher, Saw Filer. O*NET OnLine
BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners: 3.5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.