The median annual wage for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC is $45,990 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $44,900.
Pay spans roughly $37,030 at the 10th percentile to $56,260 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $22.11 per hour. An estimated 130 people work as grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC.
| Median (annual) | $45,990 |
| Mean (annual) | $44,900 |
| Median (hourly) | $22.11 |
| 10th percentile | $37,030 |
| 90th percentile | $56,260 |
| Employment | 130 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.