Metal finisher vs honing machine operator

The differences between metal finishers and honing machine operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a honing machine operator has an average salary of $39,966, which is higher than the $34,760 average annual salary of a metal finisher.

The top three skills for a metal finisher include grinders, stainless steel and hand tools. The most important skills for a honing machine operator are calipers, sunnen, and machine shop.

Metal finisher vs honing machine operator overview

	Metal Finisher	Honing Machine Operator
Yearly salary	$34,760	$39,966
Hourly rate	$16.71	$19.21
Growth rate	-5%	-5%
Number of jobs	4,896	53,608
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 43%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	-	-

Metal finisher vs honing machine operator salary

Metal finishers and honing machine operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Metal Finisher	Honing Machine Operator
Average salary	$34,760	$39,966
Salary range	Between $28,000 And $42,000	Between $29,000 And $53,000
Highest paying City	Oregon City, OR	-
Highest paying state	Oregon	-
Best paying company	MicroPort	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between metal finisher and honing machine operator education

There are a few differences between a metal finisher and a honing machine operator in terms of educational background:

	Metal Finisher	Honing Machine Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 47%	High School Diploma, 43%
Most common major	Business	Information Technology
Most common college	-	-

Metal finisher vs honing machine operator demographics

Here are the differences between metal finishers' and honing machine operators' demographics:

	Metal Finisher	Honing Machine Operator
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 89.3% Female, 10.7%	Male, 97.6% Female, 2.4%
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 honing machine 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.

Honing machine operator example responsibilities.

Utilize micrometers, vernier calipers, overhead crane and hand tools.
Use various tools of measurements such as calipers, micrometers and dial bore gauges.
Job require a variety of skills including general math and communication with management.
Perform repair and preventive maintenance on machinery including cleaning, oiling and adjusting.

Metal finisher vs honing machine operator skills

Common metal finisher skills

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

Common honing machine operator skills

Calipers, 54%
Sunnen, 10%
Machine Shop, 9%
Hydraulic Cylinders, 5%
Machine Operation, 5%
Honing Stones, 4%

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Metal Finisher vs Honing Machine Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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