The median annual wage for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Iowa is $44,920 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $47,080.
Pay spans roughly $37,770 at the 10th percentile to $68,400 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $21.60 per hour. An estimated 1,200 people work as grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Iowa.
| Median (annual) | $44,920 |
| Mean (annual) | $47,080 |
| Median (hourly) | $21.60 |
| 10th percentile | $37,770 |
| 90th percentile | $68,400 |
| Employment | 1,200 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.