The median annual wage for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $39,910 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $40,770.
Pay spans roughly $27,590 at the 10th percentile to $53,910 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $19.19 per hour. An estimated 1,200 people work as grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.
| Median (annual) | $39,910 |
| Mean (annual) | $40,770 |
| Median (hourly) | $19.19 |
| 10th percentile | $27,590 |
| 90th percentile | $53,910 |
| Employment | 1,200 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.