The median annual wage for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Ames, IA is $47,490 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $47,840.
Pay spans roughly $39,350 at the 10th percentile to $56,660 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $22.83 per hour. An estimated 40 people work as grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Ames, IA.
| Median (annual) | $47,490 |
| Mean (annual) | $47,840 |
| Median (hourly) | $22.83 |
| 10th percentile | $39,350 |
| 90th percentile | $56,660 |
| Employment | 40 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.