Skip to content
AffordMap
Salary comparison

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators: Who Earns More?

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders out-earn Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators by $4K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders land at $48,540 and Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators at $44,650. The education gap is real: crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tender programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while miscellaneous assemblers and fabricator programs require high school diploma or equivalent. Top-paying state for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is Wyoming ($71,300); for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators it's District of Columbia ($50,330).

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
Median salary
$48,540
$44,650
Hourly rate
$23.34/hr
$21.47/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$36,520
$33,280
Senior level (90th %)
$69,240
$64,880
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
High school diploma or equivalent
U.S. employment
26,000
1,405,030
Job growth (10-year)
-2.5%
-0.1%
Category
Production & Manufacturing
Production & Manufacturing
Top-paying state
Wyoming
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders median pay.

State
Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators
Alaska
$68,730
$49,390
Iowa
$62,590
$48,920
Nevada
$60,180
$49,050
Minnesota
$56,550
$46,920
Oregon
$55,600
$46,910
Maine
$54,080
$45,970
New Hampshire
$50,360
$46,940
Massachusetts
$50,110
$46,720
North Dakota
$49,280
$47,250
Missouri
$48,840
$46,480
Washington
$48,020
$48,260
Colorado
$46,950
$46,150
California
$45,870
$47,720
Ohio
$43,850
$45,720
Kentucky
$42,520
$47,950

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders or Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators?

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn more nationally. The median is $48,540 for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders versus $44,650 for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators, a difference of $4K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders or Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators?

Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators has the better 10-year outlook at -0.1% projected growth, compared to -2.5% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders or Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators?

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators requires high school diploma or equivalent. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders get paid the most?

Wyoming is the top-paying state for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders at $71,300/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs. Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In Alaska, Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn $68,730 vs. $49,390 for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary breakdownView →Full Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators salary breakdownView →Best cities for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators by take-home payExplore →How to become a crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tendersGuide →How to become a miscellaneous assemblers and fabricatorsGuide →