The median annual wage for Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA is $44,930 (May 2024 BLS OES). The mean (average) is $51,400.
Pay spans roughly $38,970 at the 10th percentile to $70,650 at the 90th, so experience and specialisation move this figure a lot. At the median that is about $21.60 per hour. An estimated 140 people work as grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA.
| Median (annual) | $44,930 |
| Mean (annual) | $51,400 |
| Median (hourly) | $21.60 |
| 10th percentile | $38,970 |
| 90th percentile | $70,650 |
| Employment | 140 |
Updated 2026-07-23.
Source: BLS OES May 2024 — bls.gov/oes. Checked 2026-07-23.