The median annual wage for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Knoxville, TN is $47,100 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $45,660.
Pay spans roughly $35,260 at the 10th percentile to $53,350 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $22.64 per hour. An estimated 140 people work as grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Knoxville, TN.
| Median (annual) | $47,100 |
| Mean (annual) | $45,660 |
| Median (hourly) | $22.64 |
| 10th percentile | $35,260 |
| 90th percentile | $53,350 |
| Employment | 140 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.