Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary in Washington

Half of grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic roles in Washington report earning more than $49,300 a year and half report earning less — that is the median. The mean (average) of $53,290 is pulled up or down by the highest and lowest earners, which is why the median is usually the better benchmark.

Salary range

A quarter of reported salaries fall below $45,130 and a quarter are above $59,250, so most grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay sits between those two figures. These percentiles describe how pay is spread across all reported roles — they are not a direct measure of years of experience.

What can affect grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay?

• Years of experience and level of responsibility
• Employer type and size
• Specialization within the occupation
• Certifications and licensing
• Industry
• Hours worked, shift patterns and overtime
• The local labor market where the job is based