Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners Salary
In Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners earn $62,300 at the median, or about $29.95 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.63), that's roughly $63,165 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,573/month, about 36.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $62K get you in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands’s Regional Price Parity (98.63). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners
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What this looks like in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands sits well above the national pay line for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners, local pay runs about 24% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,573/month, which is 36.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.63) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners in metros near Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington | $34K | $33K |
| Fort Smith | $38K | $45K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
Entry-level tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $41K spread from bottom to top.
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $75K | +50% | 410 |
| Oregon | $61K | +21% | 430 |
| Idaho | $59K | +18% | 100 |
| Ohio | $57K | +13% | 190 |
| Massachusetts | $57K | +13% | 40 |
| Louisiana | $56K | +13% | 40 |
| Mississippi | $56K | +11% | 50 |
| Kansas | $54K | +8% | N/A |
| Missouri | $53K | +5% | 150 |
| Minnesota | $52K | +4% | 90 |
| Iowa | $52K | +3% | 60 |
| California | $51K | +2% | 620 |
| Wisconsin | $51K | +2% | 110 |
| South Carolina | $50K | +0% | 80 |
| Montana | $50K | -1% | N/A |
| New Jersey | $49K | -1% | N/A |
| Indiana | $49K | -3% | 110 |
| Nebraska | $47K | -5% | 40 |
| New York | $47K | -6% | 170 |
| Georgia | $47K | -7% | 240 |
| Maine | $47K | -7% | 60 |
| New Hampshire | $46K | -7% | 40 |
| Texas | $46K | -8% | 530 |
| North Carolina | $46K | -9% | 160 |
| Oklahoma | $46K | -9% | 60 |
| Kentucky | $44K | -12% | 50 |
| Michigan | $43K | -13% | 260 |
| Alabama | $42K | -17% | 220 |
| Connecticut | $40K | -21% | 130 |
| Pennsylvania | $40K | -21% | 170 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -23% | 160 |
| Virginia | $38K | -23% | 80 |
| Tennessee | $37K | -26% | 200 |
| Florida | $37K | -26% | 120 |
| Colorado | $34K | -32% | N/A |
Showing 1–10 of 35 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a tool grinders, filers, and sharpener afford a 2BR apartment alone in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 36.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,573/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,281/month. At HUD’s $1,573/month FMR, rent would take 69% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is tool grinders, filers, and sharpener a high-paying job in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Local pay is 24% above the national median — $62K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands compare to the national average for tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.63), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners make in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?
The median is $62,300 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,020, and experienced tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners can clear $78,670. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,341/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,573/month, which eats 36.2% 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 tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners salary go in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands?
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands has a Regional Price Parity of 98.63 (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 tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners salary is worth about $63,165 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners 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.