Instrument maker vs grinder

The differences between instrument makers and grinders can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an instrument maker and a grinder. Additionally, an instrument maker has an average salary of $41,702, which is higher than the $33,001 average annual salary of a grinder.

The top three skills for an instrument maker include CNC, brazing and CAD. The most important skills for a grinder are grinders, hand tools, and calipers.

Instrument maker vs grinder overview

	Instrument Maker	Grinder
Yearly salary	$41,702	$33,001
Hourly rate	$20.05	$15.87
Growth rate	1%	1%
Number of jobs	9,633	3,409
Job satisfaction	-	4
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 58%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Instrument maker vs grinder salary

Instrument makers and grinders have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Instrument Maker	Grinder
Average salary	$41,702	$33,001
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $56,000	Between $26,000 And $40,000
Highest paying City	-	Tualatin, OR
Highest paying state	-	New Mexico
Best paying company	-	Kennametal
Best paying industry	-	Automotive

Differences between instrument maker and grinder education

There are a few differences between an instrument maker and a grinder in terms of educational background:

	Instrument Maker	Grinder
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 37%	High School Diploma, 58%
Most common major	Business	Precision Metal Working
Most common college	-	-

Instrument maker vs grinder demographics

Here are the differences between instrument makers' and grinders' demographics:

	Instrument Maker	Grinder
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 89.1% Female, 10.9%	Male, 91.3% Female, 8.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 3.9% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.6% Asian, 6.3% White, 70.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 4.0% Unknown, 3.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.3% White, 70.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	3%	3%

Differences between instrument maker and grinder duties and responsibilities

Instrument maker example responsibilities.

Mount DCS and PLC cabinets and familiar with there systems.
Work safely along with all proper ppe, and with NEC, nfpa 70e, and osha standards.
Loop checking and control logic simulation from DCS panel to field instruments.
Perform instrument quality checks using gauges, micrometers, calipers, and other measuring equipment.
Design, machine, and assemble special cutting tools, jigs, and fixtures for holding parts and removing metal.
Work independently to machine parts to tight tolerance, design and implement fixtures and jigs while meeting aggressive production quantities.

Grinder example responsibilities.

Machine carbide, harden tool steel, harden stainless steel, and ceramic.
Verify dimensional compliance using micrometers, calipers, ultrasonic testing and similar types of dimensional inspection devices.
Set up and run O.D.
Support for lathes and EDM (i.e.
Grind drills, end mills, taps etc.
Set up and run surface grinder at 200 to 300/ hour.

Instrument maker vs grinder skills

Common instrument maker skills

CNC, 18%
Brazing, 11%
CAD, 9%
Grinders, 9%
Calipers, 7%
Hand Tools, 6%

Common grinder skills

Grinders, 20%
Hand Tools, 12%
Calipers, 8%
Grinding Machines, 7%
Grinding Wheels, 7%
CNC, 6%