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Grinding machine operator salary
Average grinding machine operator salary
$37,288
Understanding the Salary of Grinding Machine Operators
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Grinding Machine Operator in the United States is approximately $37,288 per year, which translates to about $18 per hour. This role is critical in several industries, particularly manufacturing, where precision and skill are paramount. Operators are responsible for setting up and operating grinding machines, which are essential for producing components with exact specifications.
Salary levels can vary significantly based on factors such as location, experience, and industry. For instance, operators in urban areas may earn more due to higher living costs. States with the highest reported salaries include California and New York, reflecting the demand for skilled operators in these regions. Additionally, industries such as aerospace and automotive often offer higher wages due to the technical expertise required.
For those considering this career path, job opportunities are plentiful, especially in areas with a strong manufacturing presence. Positions may also offer potential for advancement into supervisory or specialized roles, making this a viable and rewarding career choice.
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Where can a Grinding Machine Operator earn more?
Average grinding machine operator salary by state
The average grinding machine operator salary in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Oregon are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average grinding machine operator salary states are Louisiana, Georgia, and Nebraska.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for grinding machine operators
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $45,967 | $22.10 |
| 2 | Connecticut | $45,492 | $21.87 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania | $42,269 | $20.32 |
| 4 | Alaska | $41,961 | $20.17 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $40,594 | $19.52 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $40,487 | $19.46 |
| 7 | Oregon | $44,007 | $21.16 |
| 8 | Michigan | $40,416 | $19.43 |
| 9 | Maine | $40,608 | $19.52 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $38,138 | $18.34 |
| 11 | Vermont | $41,296 | $19.85 |
| 12 | West Virginia | $41,366 | $19.89 |
| 13 | Ohio | $37,427 | $17.99 |
| 14 | Idaho | $41,507 | $19.96 |
| 15 | Maryland | $40,289 | $19.37 |
| 16 | Wyoming | $40,594 | $19.52 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $38,512 | $18.52 |
| 18 | Virginia | $42,291 | $20.33 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $39,154 | $18.82 |
| 20 | Washington | $41,148 | $19.78 |
| 21 | Utah | $37,919 | $18.23 |
| 22 | Hawaii | $38,865 | $18.69 |
| 23 | Illinois | $37,535 | $18.05 |
| 24 | District of Columbia | $37,905 | $18.22 |
| 25 | Missouri | $37,495 | $18.03 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $36,534 | $17.56 |
| 27 | Arizona | $37,705 | $18.13 |
| 28 | Iowa | $35,937 | $17.28 |
| 29 | Indiana | $35,572 | $17.10 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $36,032 | $17.32 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $37,411 | $17.99 |
| 32 | Kansas | $36,456 | $17.53 |
| 33 | Alabama | $36,176 | $17.39 |
| 34 | Arkansas | $35,428 | $17.03 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $36,175 | $17.39 |
| 36 | New York | $38,455 | $18.49 |
| 37 | Texas | $35,872 | $17.25 |
| 38 | Montana | $36,763 | $17.67 |
| 39 | California | $37,000 | $17.79 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $34,376 | $16.53 |
| 41 | Nebraska | $33,650 | $16.18 |
| 42 | Nevada | $35,030 | $16.84 |
| 43 | Florida | $35,096 | $16.87 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $32,935 | $15.83 |
| 45 | Georgia | $33,776 | $16.24 |
| 46 | Colorado | $35,721 | $17.17 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $30,783 | $14.80 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $34,260 | $16.47 |
| 49 | New Mexico | $34,804 | $16.73 |
| 50 | Delaware | $34,463 | $16.57 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $33,502 | $16.11 |
Highest paying cities for grinding machine operators
The highest-paying cities for grinding machine operators are Woburn, MA, Newtown, CT, and Warren, MI.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woburn, MA | $46,035 | $22.13 |
| 2 | Newtown, CT | $45,462 | $21.86 |
| 3 | Warren, MI | $40,507 | $19.47 |
| 4 | Green Bay, WI | $38,892 | $18.70 |
| 5 | Shakopee, MN | $38,399 | $18.46 |
| 6 | Vineland, NJ | $38,373 | $18.45 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | $38,127 | $18.33 |
| 8 | Wheeling, IL | $37,742 | $18.15 |
| 9 | Benicia, CA | $37,264 | $17.92 |
| 10 | Amarillo, TX | $35,997 | $17.31 |
| 11 | Tampa, FL | $35,112 | $16.88 |
| 12 | Morrisville, NC | $32,989 | $15.86 |
Grinding machine operator salary details
A grinding machine operator's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $45,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a grinding machine operator's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $45,000 | $3,750 | $22 |
| 75th Percentile | $41,000 | $3,417 | $20 |
| Average | $37,288 | $3,107 | $18 |
| 25th Percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $30,000 | $2,500 | $14 |
Highest paying grinding machine operator jobs
The highest paying types of grinding machine operators are set-up operator, mill operator, and grinder operator.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set-Up Operator | $39,269 | $3,272 | $18.88 | 55,670 |
| Molder Operator | $31,707 | $2,642 | $15.24 | 66,217 |
| Laser Operator | $34,813 | $2,901 | $16.74 | 56,479 |
| Cell Operator | $37,866 | $3,155 | $18.20 | 66,532 |
| Mill Operator | $39,045 | $3,254 | $18.77 | 64,574 |
| Saw Operator | $32,319 | $2,693 | $15.54 | 58,465 |
Top companies hiring grinding machine operators now:
Which companies pay grinding machine operators the most?
Grinding machine operator salaries at Danaher and SinterMet are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average grinding machine operator salary at companies like SP Industries and OSI Group are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danaher | $44,491 | $21.39 |
| 2 | SinterMet | $41,980 | $20.18 |
| 3 | SP Industries | $41,829 | $20.11 |
| 4 | OSI Group | $41,214 | $19.81 |
| 5 | Smithfield Foods | $40,396 | $19.42 |
| 6 | Toro | $40,292 | $19.37 |
| 7 | Stanley Black & Decker | $40,165 | $19.31 |
| 8 | Eaton | $40,132 | $19.29 |
| 9 | Sodexo Management, Inc. | $39,513 | $19.00 |
| 10 | United Performance Metals | $39,242 | $18.87 |
| 11 | Broadwind Energy | $39,234 | $18.86 |
| 12 | Meyer Tool | $39,214 | $18.85 |
| 13 | Kimco Staffing Services Inc | $38,917 | $18.71 |
| 14 | Aquinas Consulting | $38,839 | $18.67 |
| 15 | Crown Holdings | $38,326 | $18.43 |
| 16 | Advantage xPO | $37,774 | $18.16 |
| 17 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $37,431 | $18.00 |
| 18 | Remedy Intelligent Staffing | $37,266 | $17.92 |
| 19 | Kelly Services | $37,263 | $17.91 |
| 20 | ManpowerGroup | $36,453 | $17.53 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Grinding Machine Operator salary by industry
The average grinding machine operator salary varies across industries:
- The average grinding machine operator salary in the technology industry is $40,910, the highest of any industry.
- The average grinding machine operator salary in the finance industry is $40,843.
- Grinding machine operators in the professional industry earn an average salary of $38,598, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for grinding machine operators
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $40,910 | $19.67 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $40,843 | $19.64 |
| 3 | Automotive | $39,961 | $19.21 |
| 4 | Transportation | $39,418 | $18.95 |
| 5 | Professional | $38,598 | $18.56 |
High paying grinding machine operator jobs
Grinding machine operator salary trends
The average grinding machine operator salary has risen by $6,025 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average grinding machine operator earned $31,263 annually, but today, they earn $37,288 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for grinding machine operators over the last decade.
Compare grinding machine operator salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average grinding machine operator salary over time
Compare grinding machine operator salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Grinding machine operator salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $37,300 | $17.93 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $36,100 | $17.34 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | $35,600 | $17.10 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $34,800 | $16.74 | +3.4% |
| 2021 | $33,600 | $16.17 | +2.2% |
Recently added grinding machine operator salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carr Lane Manufacturing | Machine Operator, Precision Grinding | Saint Louis, MO | 06/26/2025 | $39,653 |
| Helpmates | Manufacturing Grinder Machine Operator 1St. Shift 826495 | Huntington Beach, CA | 06/23/2025 | $37,566 |
| Integrity Staffing Services | Grinding Machine Operator | Newport News, VA | 06/06/2025 | $35,479 |
| Adecco Us, Inc. | Grinding Machine Operator | Holland, MI | 06/04/2025 | $33,392 |
| The Timken Company | Machine Operator-Roller Grind (215656) | Boone, NC | 05/28/2025 | $48,001 |
| Staffmark Group | Grinder Machine Operator | Rogers, AR | 05/22/2025 | $35,479 |
| Quanex Building Products Corporation | Machine Operator/Grinder-2Nd Shift | Thomasville, NC | 05/10/2025 | $31,305 |
| Phillips Staffing | Grinder Machine Operator 2Nd Shift | Liberty, SC | 05/09/2025 | $33,392 |
| Insight Global | Grinding Machine Operator | Chandler, AZ | 05/06/2025 | $58,436 |
| Fidelis Holdings LLC | Grinding Machine Operator-Multiple Shifts Available | Syracuse, NY | 04/28/2025 | $38,484 |
Grinding machine operator salary FAQs
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