Searching

Career Exploration

  1. Home

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

Also called: Chipper, Finisher, Grinder, Polisher

What they do:

Grind, sand, or polish, using hand tools or hand-held power tools, a variety of metal, wood, stone, clay, plastic, or glass objects. Includes chippers, buffers, and finishers.

On the job, you would:
  • Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery.
  • Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools.
  • Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met.
On the job, you'll need:

Engineering and Technology

  • mechanical

Manufactured or Agricultural Goods

  • manufacture and distribution of products

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Basic Skills

  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Hand and Finger Use

  • keep your arm or hand steady
  • put together small parts with your fingers

Controlled Movement

  • quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
  • use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down

Realistic

People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Integrity
  • Independence
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Adaptability/Flexibility

Spreadsheet software

  • Microsoft Excel

Word processing software

  • Microsoft Word

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Below Average.

New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $36,960

Education

High school diploma/GED or no high school diploma/GED is usually needed.

Explore More

See other careers in the Manufacturing industry.