Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners

Pay

Getting in

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

On-the-job training

Moderate-term on-the-job training

Prior experience

None

Calculate your switch to tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners

What the work is like

Core tasks

• Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.
• Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.
• Set up and operate grinding or polishing machines to grind metal workpieces, such as dies, parts, and tools.
• Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.
• Perform basic maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating machine parts.
• Remove finished workpieces from machines and place them in boxes or on racks, setting aside pieces that are defective.
• Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.
• Dress grinding wheels, according to specifications.

Also called: Crankshaft Grinder · Cutter Grind Tool Technician (Cutter Grind Tool Tech) · Cutter Grinder · Grinder · Grinder Operator · OD Grinder Operator (Outer Diameter Grinder Operator) · Polisher · Saw Filer

Outlook and AI

Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners held 5,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 5,400 by 2035 (−7%, declining; all jobs: +3.5%).

Compare with

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