Your work. Your records.
Grinding and Polishing Machine Operator Workplace Records
Grinding, lapping and polishing work may change a surface in small increments while measurements determine acceptance. A workplace concern should distinguish setup, processing and final inspection. Describe the workpiece category and instruction generally, then identify your own role and the employment response without assuming an outcome proves a particular cause.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Setup chronology
Identify who directed settings and any change before the disputed result.
Measurement question
Record the observation you made and the explanation provided about a different reading.
Personal record
Match your own schedule and correction request to required checks and finishing duties.
Start with the work you actually do
Set up, operate, or tend grinding and related tools that remove excess material or burrs from surfaces, sharpen edges or corners, or buff, hone, or polish metal or plastic work pieces.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (51-4033.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.Source task 10145 · updated 08/2026
- Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.Source task 10140 · updated 08/2026
- Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.Source task 10144 · updated 08/2026
- Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.Source task 10143 · updated 08/2026
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (SOC 51-4033). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $16.20 | $18.35 | $22.41 | $38,170 |
| Arizona | $18.47 | $21.63 | $23.86 | $44,990 |
| Arkansas | $18.11 | $19.03 | $22.70 | $39,590 |
| Connecticut | $18.79 | $23.36 | $28.23 | $48,590 |
| Delaware | $18.44 | $21.34 | $21.34 | $44,390 |
| Florida | $17.70 | $19.38 | $23.14 | $40,310 |
| Georgia | $18.45 | $22.04 | $25.48 | $45,850 |
| Idaho | $18.72 | $22.11 | $22.48 | $45,980 |
| Indiana | $20.54 | $22.74 | $24.54 | $47,310 |
| Iowa | $19.85 | $22.30 | $24.23 | $46,380 |
| Kansas | $17.93 | $20.53 | $22.31 | $42,710 |
| Kentucky | $20.57 | $23.63 | $28.12 | $49,160 |
| Louisiana | $16.05 | $18.58 | $22.10 | $38,650 |
| Maine | $20.65 | $22.71 | $24.50 | $47,230 |
| Michigan | $18.37 | $21.85 | $27.00 | $45,460 |
| Minnesota | $22.52 | $24.90 | $29.12 | $51,780 |
| Mississippi | $17.62 | $20.51 | $30.59 | $42,660 |
| Missouri | $19.24 | $22.25 | $28.58 | $46,270 |
| Montana | $18.36 | $20.07 | $22.43 | $41,740 |
| Nebraska | $18.74 | $23.32 | $23.89 | $48,500 |
| New Hampshire | $19.90 | $22.40 | $24.48 | $46,580 |
| New Mexico | $17.63 | $18.28 | $21.68 | $38,020 |
| New York | $20.96 | $23.70 | $28.98 | $49,290 |
| North Carolina | $18.37 | $22.97 | $25.85 | $47,770 |
| North Dakota | $22.70 | $22.92 | $25.08 | $47,670 |
| Ohio | $18.50 | $21.76 | $25.00 | $45,270 |
| Oklahoma | $16.79 | $18.54 | $24.00 | $38,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $19.27 | $22.91 | $25.53 | $47,650 |
| Rhode Island | $18.50 | $20.99 | $29.09 | $43,650 |
| South Dakota | $15.25 | $18.78 | $20.96 | $39,060 |
| Tennessee | $18.20 | $21.50 | $23.34 | $44,710 |
| Texas | $17.75 | $20.31 | $22.34 | $42,250 |
| Utah | $18.53 | $21.31 | $24.42 | $44,320 |
| Vermont | $24.17 | $24.35 | $28.57 | $50,640 |
| Virginia | $16.71 | $20.76 | $23.00 | $43,170 |
| West Virginia | $18.15 | $24.02 | $28.02 | $49,950 |
| Wisconsin | $19.81 | $22.76 | $26.65 | $47,330 |
| Wyoming | $22.25 | $22.50 | $22.98 | $46,800 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Identify the measurement and setting
Record the specification version, instrument category and setting you were instructed to use. Note whether you adjusted the machine or received an established setup. Separate your measurement from a later reading by another inspector, and record requests for clarification about a difference.
Explain finishing work around output
List setup, measurement, adjustment and cleanup relevant to the review period. Note tool condition or downtime you reported without diagnosing an unverified cause. Compare your own time entry with these tasks instead of using finished-piece totals as your entire work record.
Preserve records without reproducing conditions
Do not rerun a part, bypass equipment controls or remove samples to prove your account. Leave tolerances, customer designs and process settings in approved systems. Identify relevant record types and keep your own report acknowledgment, training and employment feedback separately.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
Call now(800) 800-5555Current service-state coverage
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Eligibility is evaluated individually; this list does not promise representation.
Explore state resources