Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners in the U.S. is $50,060 ($24.07 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $50,060
- Mean annual wage
- $53,240
- Median hourly wage
- $24.07
- Employment
- 5,600
5,600 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,350 | $16.99 |
| 25th percentile | $40,800 | $19.61 |
| Median (50th) | $50,060 | $24.07 |
| 75th percentile | $62,150 | $29.88 |
| 90th percentile | $77,170 | $37.10 |
Highest-paying states for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | $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 | — |
| Missouri | $52,540 | 150 |
| Minnesota | $51,990 | 90 |
Lowest-paying states
- Colorado: $33,970 median annual wage
- Florida: $36,880 median annual wage
- Tennessee: $36,920 median annual wage
- Virginia: $38,370 median annual wage
- Arkansas: $38,410 median annual wage
About this occupation
Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.
Typical tasks
- Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.
- Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.
- Compute numbers, widths, and angles of cutting tools, micrometers, scales, and gauges, and adjust tools to produce specified cuts.
- Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.
- Duplicate workpiece contours, using tracer attachments.
- Perform basic maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating machine parts.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 16.8% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 49.5% |
| Some college, no degree | 19.4% |
| Associate's degree | 8.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 5.2% |
| Master's degree | 0.8% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.1% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.