Headline risk
18%
Moderate RiskGrinding and polishing workers, hand
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Share of job tasks that overlap with current AI capabilities
Median annual wage
Projected employment change over 10 years
Typical preparation needed for this occupation
Occupation profile
Grind, sand, or polish, using hand tools or hand-held power tools, a variety of metal, wood, stone, clay, plastic, or glass objects. Includes chippers, buffers, and finishers.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 0% effective coverage
Scores combine AI task overlap, human advantages, and local demand. How it works
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 41,690
Employment 2024
11.8K
Projected Change (2024–34)
-21.2%
Openings (2024–34)
0.8K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Projections published, but no prose outlook available.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools. AI use: 0%
- 2. Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools. AI use: 0%
- 3. Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery. AI use: 0%
- 4. Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment. AI use: 0%
- 5. Select files or other abrasives, according to materials, sizes and shapes of workpieces, amount of stock to be removed, finishes specified, and steps in finishing processes. AI use: 0%
- 6. Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met. AI use: 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Worker profile
Median age 44.9 · 71K employed
Under 25: 6% · 25–54: 68% · 55+: 27%
Related
No direct US role match is available yet for this occupation.
Source coverage
11/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
major_group_fallback · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.