CompSignalCompSignal

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners Salary in Oregon

SOC 51-4194 · Oregon · BLS OEWS May 2025

Median Annual Salary
$60,757
$29.21/hr
21.4% higher than the US national median ($50,066)
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026

Is this a competitive Tool Grinders salary in Oregon in 2026?

Based on BLS OEWS wage percentiles, JOLTS August 2026 demand signals, and ECI Q2 2026 wage growth.

$Competitive · ~P50
P10$44K
P25$50K
P50$61K
P75$75K
P90$81K
Drag the dot or type an amount above.
⚡
Demand: ACTIVE. Demand is active -- manufacturing openings are at 4.0% (JOLTS, August 2026). A balanced market where the median is a solid, competitive anchor.
📈
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 $60,757 to $75,462 (market median to the 75th percentile). The median-to-P75 range keeps offers competitive.
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 · MODERATE

Manufacturing is running a 4.0% job-openings rate with quits at 1.6% (BLS JOLTS). The openings rate has held near 4.0% 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
  • Sep 29, 2026JOLTS August 2026: sector openings eased to 4.0% (down 54K) after July's durable-goods jump, which held at 4.4% on revision. Quits rose to 1.6%, led by nondurable goods.
  • Sep 1, 2026JOLTS July 2026: sector openings jumped to 4.4% (up 79K), all of it in durable goods, the biggest sector move this release. Quits eased to 1.4%.
  • 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 August 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
Get notified when this number updates
Personal or work email, both work. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

The median salary for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in Oregon is $60,757 per year ($29.21/hr). This is 21.4% higher than the national median of $50,066.

About This Role

BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018

Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.

Wage Percentiles: Oregon

Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours) · National adjusted
PercentileHourly RateAnnual Salaryvs National
P10Entry level$21.32$44,346+25.5%
P25$24.07$50,066+22.7%
P50MEDIAN$29.21$60,757+21.4%
P75$36.28$75,462+21.4%
P90Top earners$39.12$81,370+5.4%

How Oregon compares for Tool Grinders

Computed from this state's own BLS distribution against national

Pay for Tool Grinders in Oregon sits above the national range at every level: +25.5% at entry, +21.4% at the median and +5.4% at the top. The gap is larger at entry than at the top.

An offer at the national median of $50,066 would sit at about the 25th percentile in Oregon.

The top of the range earns 1.83 times the bottom here against 2.18 times nationally, so pay for this role is more compressed between entry and senior levels in Oregon.

Oregon employs 430 people in this role, 7.7% of the national total.

Get the full percentile report
P10–P90 breakdown, career outlook, industry wages, and JOLTS market signal for Tool Grinders
Free. No account needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

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 2 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
IndustryWorkforce 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
Wage range across top 5 industries: $46,600 to $61,340 (32% spread)
See the complete picture
Full percentile breakdown · JOLTS market signals · Geographic comparison · AI analyst briefs
Open CompSignal — Free
No credit card required · 770+ occupations · 393 metros

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the median tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners salary in Oregon?

The median (P50) annual salary for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in Oregon is approximately $60,757, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data. This is 21.4% higher than the national median of $50,066. For the full P10–P90 breakdown and market context, open CompSignal.

Related Roles in Oregon

Same sector, top 5 by employment
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators51-2090View salary →First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers51-1011View salary →Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers51-9061View salary →Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers51-4121View salary →Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders51-9111View salary →Browse all 770+ occupations →
Need custom compensation benchmarks?
Falcon Incentives designs pay structures, incentive plans, and sales comp programs for mid-market companies.
Talk to Falcon Incentives →

About This Data

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.

Next OEWS release: May 2027Verify on BLS.gov →

About CompSignal

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.

Open the full app →About Falcon Incentives →Privacy Policy
Explore CompSignal →

Free BLS wage benchmarks, JOLTS talent signals, and AI analyst briefs

CompSignal by Falcon Incentives · BLS data, made usable · Verify on BLS.gov