Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Salary
The median pay for a grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic in Texas is $42,250/year ($20.31/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $29K at the entry level to $52K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 91.49), which stretches that salary to about $46,180 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 46.5% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Texas. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $42K get you in Texas?
About grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics
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What this looks like in Texas
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in Texas tracks closely to the national median, $42K locally vs. $47K nationwide, a 9% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 47.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 91.49 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 9% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Texas
Entry-level grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics (10th percentile) start around $29K. Mid-career wages sit at $42K. Top earners bring in $52K or more, a $23K spread from bottom to top.
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic salary by metro in Texas
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler | $53K | +25% | 50 |
| Waco | $47K | +12% | 50 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands | $43K | +2% | 1,290 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $43K | +1% | 640 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos | $42K | +0% | 150 |
| Killeen-Temple | $41K | -2% | 40 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur | $40K | -6% | 110 |
| El Paso | $39K | -9% | 30 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels | $38K | -10% | 80 |
Compare to other states
Track grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic afford a 2BR apartment alone in Texas?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $42K, rent takes 47.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $900/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics in Texas?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics typically earn — is $29K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,763/month. At HUD’s $1,415/month FMR, rent would take 80% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic a high-paying job in Texas?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $42K locally vs. $47K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Texas compare to the national average for grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics?
Texas pays $42K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 91.49), the purchasing-power equivalent is $46K — below the national median.
How much do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics make in Texas?
The median is $42,250 a year, that works out to about $20 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $29,380, and experienced grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics can clear $52,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $42K enough to live in Texas?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,999/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 47.2% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary go in Texas?
Texas has a Regional Price Parity of 91.49 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic salary is worth about $46,180 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastics get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.