The median annual wage for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Chattanooga, TN-GA is $45,890 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $43,850.
Pay spans roughly $34,880 at the 10th percentile to $47,880 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $22.06 per hour. An estimated 100 people work as grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Chattanooga, TN-GA.
| Median (annual) | $45,890 |
| Mean (annual) | $43,850 |
| Median (hourly) | $22.06 |
| 10th percentile | $34,880 |
| 90th percentile | $47,880 |
| Employment | 100 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.