Is this a competitive Tool Grinders salary in 2026?
Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS June 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.
$Competitive · ~P50
P10$35K
P25$41K
P50$50K
P75$62K
P90$77K
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Demand: STABLE. Demand is stable -- manufacturing openings are at 3.7% (JOLTS, June 2026). A standard market: pay near the median, no urgency premium needed.
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Merit budget: Wages in manufacturing are rising about 3.3% a year (BLS ECI, Q2 2026). Budget a 2.9-3.4% merit increase to hold this role at market.
Our read
For a competitive 2026 offer, target $50,066 to $62,150 (market median to the 75th percentile). Anchor on the median.
Figures are market benchmarks from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; apply professional judgment before making pay decisions.
How Tool Grinders pay is moving in 2026
Trend, demand, and spread context from BLS OEWS, JOLTS, and ECI
Pay trend
Median pay for this role rose 2.3% between the May 2024 and May 2025 BLS surveys, trailing the 3.3% wage growth of Manufacturing (BLS ECI).
Hiring demand · STABLE
Manufacturing is running a 3.7% job-openings rate with quits at 1.5% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has drifted up from 3.4% to 3.7% over the past quarter.
Pay spread
Top earners (P90) make about 2.2 times what entry-level (P10) workers make in this role. That spread is in the typical range for U.S. occupations; standard 80% to 120% pay bands around the median work well.
What changed recently
Aug 4, 2026JOLTS June 2026: sector openings eased to 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback. Quits steady at 1.5%.
Commentary is generated from published BLS figures (OEWS May 2025 vs May 2024, JOLTS June 2026, ECI Q2 2026) and refreshed each release. It is interpretation, not a BLS product.
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners is $50,066 per year ($24.07/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $40,789 and $62,150 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $77,168 per year. There are approximately 5,600 tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-7.8%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
500
per year, on avg
Workforce today
6K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Sawmills and Wood Preservation
NAICS 321100
1K
$61,340
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance
NAICS 811300
640
$46,600
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing
NAICS 336400
490
$61,550
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)
NAICS 3320A1
390
$51,790
Animal Slaughtering and Processing
NAICS 311600
300
$40,390
Wage range across top 5 industries: $40,390 to $61,550 (52% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$16.99
$35,339
P25
$19.61
$40,789
P50MEDIAN
$24.07
$50,066
P75
$29.88
$62,150
P90
$37.10
$77,168
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.7%
Quits Rate
1.5%
Manufacturing openings eased to 481K (-36K) in June, rate 3.7%, with nondurable goods driving the pullback (-55K). Quits held at 1.5%. The sector remains stable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners salary?
The national median salary for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners is $50,066 per year ($24.07/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $40,789 and $62,150 annually.
How much do top-earning tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners make?
The 90th percentile salary for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners is $77,168 per year ($37.10/hr). The 75th percentile is $62,150 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners?
Entry-level Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,339 per year ($16.99/hr). The 25th percentile is $40,789 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.
