Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners pay in the U.S.
$53,240avg. a year
$25.59 an hour · 5,600 employed
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in the U.S. earn an average of $53,240 a year and a median of $50,060. Pay is highest in Washington ($76,330) and lowest in Colorado ($35,910).
$50,060Median pay
$25.59Average hourly
+22%Avg. pay since 2020
5,600Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 10.
1410 jobs
Washington
$76,330
$36.70 an hour
2430 jobs
Oregon
$62,730
$30.16 an hour
3100 jobs
Idaho
$61,330
$29.49 an hour
4190 jobs
Ohio
$60,000
$28.85 an hour
560 jobs
Iowa
$56,900
$27.36 an hour
690 jobs
Minnesota
$55,290
$26.58 an hour
7150 jobs
Missouri
$54,380
$26.15 an hour
840 jobs
Massachusetts
$54,060
$25.99 an hour
9130 jobs
Connecticut
$53,800
$25.87 an hour
1050 jobs
Mississippi
$53,750
$25.84 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $48k$48k–$52k$52k–$54k$54k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $91,150 | $43.82 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $62,930 | $30.25 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $57,870 | $27.82 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $50,850 | $24.45 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $49,420 | $23.76 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $46,030 | $22.13 |
Related jobs
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$56,760
- Machinists$59,320
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,430
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$45,960
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$50,030
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,170
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $44,240 | $41,720 | 220 |
| Arkansas | $45,320 | $38,410 | 160 |
| California | $53,440 | $51,300 | 620 |
| Colorado | $35,910 | $33,970 | – |
| Connecticut | $53,800 | $39,710 | 130 |
| Florida | $39,420 | $36,880 | 120 |
| Georgia | $51,400 | $46,800 | 240 |
| Idaho | $61,330 | $59,250 | 100 |
| Indiana | $52,080 | $48,700 | 110 |
| Iowa | $56,900 | $51,760 | 60 |
| Kansas | $53,620 | $54,100 | – |
| Kentucky | $52,120 | $44,170 | 50 |
| Louisiana | $53,670 | $56,380 | 40 |
| Maine | $50,150 | $46,750 | 60 |
| Massachusetts | $54,060 | $56,600 | 40 |
| Michigan | $48,830 | $43,470 | 260 |
| Minnesota | $55,290 | $51,990 | 90 |
| Mississippi | $53,750 | $55,510 | 50 |
| Missouri | $54,380 | $52,540 | 150 |
| Montana | $49,340 | $49,560 | – |
| Nebraska | $48,780 | $47,360 | 40 |
| New Hampshire | $49,400 | $46,380 | 40 |
| New Jersey | $53,290 | $49,470 | – |
| New York | $47,650 | $47,070 | 170 |
| North Carolina | $48,270 | $45,790 | 160 |
| Ohio | $60,000 | $56,690 | 190 |
| Oklahoma | $46,350 | $45,600 | 60 |
| Oregon | $62,730 | $60,760 | 430 |
| Pennsylvania | $42,920 | $39,550 | 170 |
| South Carolina | $52,090 | $50,220 | 80 |
| Tennessee | $40,370 | $36,920 | 200 |
| Texas | $51,740 | $46,000 | 530 |
| Virginia | $44,180 | $38,370 | 80 |
| Washington | $76,330 | $75,190 | 410 |
| Wisconsin | $52,560 | $51,240 | 110 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$49,420
290 jobsPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
$62,930
220 jobsSeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$91,150
170 jobsGrand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI
$46,030
150 jobsNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
$50,850
110 jobsSt. Louis, MO-IL
$57,870
100 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners make?
The average is $53,240 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $50,060 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $25.59, and the median is $24.07 an hour.
Which state pays tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners the most?
Washington, with an average of $76,330 a year. The best-paying metro area is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA at $91,150.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $35,350 a year, and the top 10% earn over $77,170.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 51-4194. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.