Metal finisher vs grinder set up operator

The differences between metal finishers and grinder set up operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a metal finisher has an average salary of $34,760, which is higher than the $34,605 average annual salary of a grinder set up operator.

The top three skills for a metal finisher include grinders, stainless steel and hand tools. The most important skills for a grinder set up operator are grinding machines, grinders, and grinding wheels.

Metal finisher vs grinder set up operator overview

	Metal Finisher	Grinder Set Up Operator
Yearly salary	$34,760	$34,605
Hourly rate	$16.71	$16.64
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	4,896	28,079
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 60%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Metal finisher vs grinder set up operator salary

Metal finishers and grinder set up operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Metal Finisher	Grinder Set Up Operator
Average salary	$34,760	$34,605
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $42,000	Between $28,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Oregon City, OR	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	MicroPort	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between metal finisher and grinder set up operator education

There are a few differences between a metal finisher and a grinder set up operator in terms of educational background:

	Metal Finisher	Grinder Set Up Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 60%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Metal finisher vs grinder set up operator demographics

Here are the differences between metal finishers' and grinder set up operators' demographics:

	Metal Finisher	Grinder Set Up Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%	Male, 88.6% Female, 11.4%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%	Black or African American, 7.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 14.8% Asian, 2.7% White, 69.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	6%	6%

Differences between metal finisher and grinder set up operator duties and responsibilities

Metal finisher example responsibilities.

Train and instruct other polishers and achieve significant improvements in their productivity.
Prepare a variety of jigs and fabricate extremely ornate gates, railings, stairs, and fences.
Operate fork lifts, cutting torches and power tools to dismantle equipment to find and remove defective parts.
Concrete construction, bobcat operator, concrete finisher
Assist ICM with project management responsibilities and updating and editing documentation for ISO compliance.
Manufacture extruded aluminum evaporator coils, condenser coils, and other products for heat transfer applications.

Grinder set up operator example responsibilities.

Manage daily scheduling of production workload to be setup and run on machinery.
Can read micrometers and dial indicators
Work with TIG welders inspecting parts for flaws in the assembled metal product.
Balance and set up various size rolls to G1, exceeding industry standards.

Metal finisher vs grinder set up operator skills

Common metal finisher skills

Grinders, 13%
Stainless Steel, 8%
Hand Tools, 8%
Dents, 7%
Detect Defects, 5%
Quality Checks, 4%

Common grinder set up operator skills

Grinding Machines, 34%
Grinders, 23%
Grinding Wheels, 22%
Calipers, 7%
CNC Machines, 5%
Customer Specifications, 3%

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Metal Finisher
Metal Finisher vs Grinder Set Up Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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