Grinding and polishing workers, hand
SOC Code: 51-9022
Grinding and polishing workers, hand carries a 35% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $41,690 and -21.2% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 11,800 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 35% AI exposure, Grinding and polishing workers, hand sits 2 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 46% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
23/100
Grinding and polishing workers, hand, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $41,690
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -21.2%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) C- 35% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Grinding and polishing workers, hand in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is No credential (109/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Grinding and polishing workers, hand sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Grinding and polishing workers, hand sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
35% Lower than most lower than 54% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Grinding and polishing workers, hand vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Grinding and polishing workers, hand is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Grinding and polishing workers, hand's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 51-9022) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Grinding and polishing workers, hand be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Grinding and polishing workers, hand. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery.
- 2. Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools.
- 3. Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met.
- 4. Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment.
- 5. Mark defects, such as knotholes, cracks, and splits, for repair.
- 6. Study blueprints or layouts to determine how to lay out workpieces or saw out templates.
- 7. Move controls to adjust, start, or stop equipment during grinding and polishing processes.
- 8. Remove completed workpieces from equipment or work tables, using hand tools, and place workpieces in containers.
- 9. Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools.
- 10. Repair and maintain equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools.
Key Skills Required
- Quality Control Analysis
- Operations Monitoring
- Operation and Control
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Troubleshooting
- Reading Comprehension
Knowledge Areas
- Production and Processing
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Customer and Personal Service
- Engineering and Technology
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
- Computers and Electronics
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Grinding and polishing workers, hand?
Grinding and polishing workers, hand has an AI exposure score of 35%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Grinding and polishing workers, hand?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Grinding and polishing workers, hand is projected to decline by 21.2% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 11,800 workers.
What skills are needed for Grinding and polishing workers, hand?
Key skills for Grinding and polishing workers, hand include Quality Control Analysis, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, and others. Typical entry-level education is No formal educational credential.
How much do Grinding and polishing workers, hand earn?
The median annual wage for Grinding and polishing workers, hand is $41,690, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Grinding and polishing workers, hand?
The typical entry-level education for Grinding and polishing workers, hand is No formal educational credential. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Moderate-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Grinding and polishing workers, hand?
Grinding and polishing workers, hand roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Grinding and polishing workers, hand: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (35% here).
- Actuaries · AI exposure 35%
- Automotive and watercraft service attendants · AI exposure 35%
- Chemical technicians · AI exposure 35%
- Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders · AI exposure 35%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-21.2% here).
- Engine and other machine assemblers · growth -21.1%
- Telemarketers · growth -22.1%
- Order clerks · growth -17.2%
- Payroll and timekeeping clerks · growth -16.7%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 81 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Grinding and polishing workers, hand's numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Grinding and polishing workers, hand side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).