Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Machine Feeders and Offbearers
Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index
A factual, source-backed comparison of Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand and Machine Feeders and Offbearers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”
At a glance
| Dimension | Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand | Machine Feeders and Offbearers |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $41,690 | $39,700 |
| Employment | 11,850 | 46,690 |
| Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection | Declining (-21.2%) | Declining (-13.0%) |
| Annual openings · BLS projection | 800 | 4,700 |
| Typical education · O*NET | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. | Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. |
| AI exposure · published exposure studies | Low · 24th pct | Low · 3rd pct |
| Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk | 27th pct · 18% of tasks | 8th pct · 12% of tasks |
| Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index | — | — |
| Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman | No | No |
Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.
Skills
Shared: Arm-Hand Steadiness, Finger Dexterity, Control Precision, Near Vision, Production and Processing, Mechanical, Manual Dexterity, Quality Control Analysis, Operations Monitoring, Multilimb Coordination, English Language, Operation and Control, Oral Comprehension, Problem Sensitivity, Information Ordering, Selective Attention, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Oral Expression, Category Flexibility, Flexibility of Closure, Perceptual Speed, Rate Control, Trunk Strength, Active Listening, Speaking, Troubleshooting, Deductive Reasoning, Reaction Time, Static Strength, Auditory Attention, Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Monitoring.
Specific to Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
- Equipment Maintenance
- Repairing
- Visualization
- Visual Color Discrimination
- Critical Thinking
- Extent Flexibility
Specific to Machine Feeders and Offbearers
- Written Expression
- Wrist-Finger Speed
- Far Vision
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Written Comprehension
Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).
Tools & technology
Shared: Spreadsheet software .
Specific to Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
Specific to Machine Feeders and Offbearers
Full profiles
This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand or Machine Feeders and Offbearers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.
More comparisons
Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Tool and Die Makers
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Singulariki. "Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Machine Feeders and Offbearers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/grinding-and-polishing-workers-hand-vs-machine-feeders-and-offbearers
Singulariki. (2026). Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Machine Feeders and Offbearers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/grinding-and-polishing-workers-hand-vs-machine-feeders-and-offbearers
@misc{singulariki-grinding-and-polishing-workers-hand-vs-machine-feeders-and-offbearers,
title = {Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand vs Machine Feeders and Offbearers},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/compare/grinding-and-polishing-workers-hand-vs-machine-feeders-and-offbearers}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.