The median annual wage for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in North Carolina is $47,470 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $46,890.
Pay spans roughly $34,660 at the 10th percentile to $58,560 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $22.82 per hour. An estimated 1,820 people work as grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in North Carolina.
| Median (annual) | $47,470 |
| Mean (annual) | $46,890 |
| Median (hourly) | $22.82 |
| 10th percentile | $34,660 |
| 90th percentile | $58,560 |
| Employment | 1,820 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.