How to hire grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
$22.38U.S. median hourly pay
$39,390–$54,290Middle half, yearly
67,000People in this job in the U.S.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications. • Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers. • Lift and position workpieces, manually or with hoists, and secure them in hoppers or on machine tables, faceplates, or chucks, using clamps. • Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices. • Move machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings. • Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems. • Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation. • Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong reading comprehension skills • Working knowledge of production and processing and mechanical • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $22.38 an hour ($46,550 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to lift and position workpieces, manually or with hoists, and secure them in hoppers or on machine tables, faceplates, or chucks, using clamps. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do
- Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications.
- Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
- Lift and position workpieces, manually or with hoists, and secure them in hoppers or on machine tables, faceplates, or chucks, using clamps.
- Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
- Move machine controls to index workpieces, and to adjust machines for pre-selected operational settings.
- Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
- Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
- Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 3 to 6 months (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -10.8% over ten years, declining · about 4,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Oregon | $57,290 |
| Minnesota | $51,780 |
| Massachusetts | $50,910 |
| Washington | $49,300 |
| New York | $49,290 |
| Florida | $40,310 |
| Oklahoma | $38,570 |
| Alabama | $38,170 |
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Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.