Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners Salary
Production Occupations · 5.6K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$50,060
Median hourly
$24
Average annual
$53,240
Typical range
$35,350–$77,170
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners is $50,060 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $24 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects..
Most earn between $35,350 and $77,170 a year. There are roughly 5.6K people employed as tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners.
- Hourly
- $24.07
- Daily
- $193
- Weekly
- $963
- Bi-weekly
- $1,925
- Monthly
- $4,172
- Annual
- $50,060
$50,060 a year is around the 50th percentile for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpenerss. The median is $50,060.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Washington$75,190
- 2Oregon$60,760
- 3Idaho$59,250
- 4Ohio$56,690
- 5Massachusetts$56,600
- 6Louisiana$56,380
- 7Mississippi$55,510
- 8Kansas$54,100
- 9Missouri$52,540
- 10Minnesota$51,990
- 11Iowa$51,760
- 12California$51,300
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$102,390
- 2Eugene-Springfield, OR$75,630
- 3Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$64,350
- 4Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$62,890
- 5Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$62,790
- 6Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$62,300
- 7Longview-Kelso, WA$61,820
- 8St. Louis, MO-IL$61,550
- 9Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$60,760
- 10Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$55,100
- 11San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$53,340
- 12Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT$51,690
Related job titles
Employers advertise Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners roles under these titles.
- Cutter Grind Tool Technician
- Cutting Tool Sharpener
- Die Barber
- Die Fitter
- Die Grinder
- Die Polisher
- Die Reamer
- Die Sharpener
- Die Trimmer
- External Tool Grinder Operator
- Hand Tool Lapper
- Internal Grinder Set-Up Operator
- Mold Repair Specialist
- Nonferrous Metal Die Polisher
- Outer Diameter Grinder (OD Grinder)
- Outer Diameter Technician (OD Technician)
Related occupations
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,550
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,620
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$52,800
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing$43,380
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,570
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$47,180
- Tool and Die Makers$64,050
What a Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners does
- Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.
- Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.
- File or finish surfaces of workpieces, using prescribed hand tools.
- Perform basic maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating machine parts.
- Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.
- Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.
- Compute numbers, widths, and angles of cutting tools, micrometers, scales, and gauges, and adjust tools to produce specified cuts.
- Turn valves to direct flow of coolant against cutting wheels and workpieces during grinding.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners make?
- The median annual wage for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners is $50,060 ($24 per hour). Pay ranges from about $35,350 at the 10th percentile to $77,170 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $53,240, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpenerss the most?
- Washington has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $75,190.
- Is Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 5.6K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners do?
- Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.; Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.; File or finish surfaces of workpieces, using prescribed hand tools..