What do they do?

Set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber.

Also known as:

Beveller Operator, Crusher Operator, Cullet Trucker, Grinder, Grinder Operator, Machine Operator, Mill Operator, Miller, Polisher, Preparation Operator (Prep Operator), Process Operator, Pulverizer, Refiner Operator

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is projected to Decline 3 percent from 2020 to 2030

Projected Employment in OH

No Data Available
  • -3.1%

    Change

    Ranks #56 in job growth rate
    200

    Job Openings

    Ranks #3 in net job growth

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (<1%)
  • Master's degree  (1%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (4%)
  • Associate's degree  (8%)
  • Some college, no degree  (20%)
  • High school diploma equivalent  (46%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (21%)

People in this career often have these skills:

  • Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Multilimb Coordination - The ability to coordinate two or more limbs (for example, two arms, two legs, or one leg and one arm) while sitting, standing, or lying down. It does not involve performing the activities while the whole body is in motion.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Rate Control - The ability to time your movements or the movement of a piece of equipment in anticipation of changes in the speed and/or direction of a moving object or scene.
  • Reaction Time - The ability to quickly respond (with the hand, finger, or foot) to a signal (sound, light, picture) when it appears.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Hearing Sensitivity - The ability to detect or tell the differences between sounds that vary in pitch and loudness.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
  • Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
  • Operate grinding equipment.
  • Clean production equipment.
  • Maintain production or processing equipment.
  • Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
  • Weigh finished products.
  • Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
  • Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
  • Clear equipment jams.
  • Operate pumping systems or equipment.
  • Record operational or production data.
  • Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
  • Load materials into production equipment.
  • Clean work areas.
  • Notify others of equipment repair or maintenance needs.
  • Move products, materials, or equipment between work areas.
  • Evaluate quality of materials or products.
  • Inspect production equipment.
  • Mark products, workpieces, or equipment with identifying information.
  • Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of water, cleaning solutions, or other liquids.
  • Mix substances to create chemical solutions.
  • Prepare materials for processing.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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