AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 51-9022.00
Will AI replace Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand?
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand: AI can already handle 1 of 17 tasks; most of the work is hands-on, and the part AI can address mostly needs a standard-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 17 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand, from most to least exposed. 1 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Mark defects, such as knotholes, cracks, and splits, for repair. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Repair and maintain equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Grind, sand, clean, or polish objects or parts to correct defects or to prepare surfaces for further finishing, using hand tools and power tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Measure and mark equipment, objects, or parts to ensure grinding and polishing standards are met. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Trim, scrape, or deburr objects or parts, using chisels, scrapers, and other hand tools and equipment. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Study blueprints or layouts to determine how to lay out workpieces or saw out templates. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Move controls to adjust, start, or stop equipment during grinding and polishing processes. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Remove completed workpieces from equipment or work tables, using hand tools, and place workpieces in containers. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Load and adjust workpieces onto equipment or work tables, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| 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. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Record product and processing data on specified forms. | Estimated | No tier | |
| File grooved, contoured, and irregular surfaces of metal objects, such as metalworking dies and machine parts, to conform to templates, other parts, layouts, or blueprint specifications. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Apply solutions and chemicals to equipment, objects, or parts, using hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Sharpen abrasive grinding tools, using machines and hand tools. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Transfer equipment, objects, or parts to specified work areas, using moving devices. | Estimated | No tier | |
| Clean brass particles from files by drawing file cards through file grooves. | Estimated | No tier |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 0 of 17 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 17 of 17. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A standard-tier model or lower covers 20% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 20% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 81% is hands-on.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 10,510
- Median annual wage
- $42,660
- Middle half of earners
- $37,450 to $49,980
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -21.2%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 78% skill overlap, about 8 months to move Exposure16
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners 75% skill overlap, about 9 months to move Exposure21
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 69% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure16
- Cutters and Trimmers, Hand 64% skill overlap, about 13 months to move Exposure15
- Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal Workers 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure26
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand and AI
Will AI replace Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand?
AI already handles 1 of the 17 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 20 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -21.2% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand?
20 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 0 of the 17 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 17 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Verify quality of finished workpieces by inspecting them, comparing them to templates, measuring their dimensions, or testing them in working machinery. It is the only task that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A standard-tier model or lower covers 20% of the role's importance-weighted task work, and 81% is hands-on work that no model tier covers. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand, and what do they earn?
10,510 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $42,660 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -21.2% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/grinding-and-polishing-workers-hand
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