Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.
5,600 people do this job in the US. $50,060 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 6%
- 0%
- 94%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 6%. Today's estimate: 6%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 18 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Set up and operate grinding or polishing machines to grind metal workpieces, such as dies, parts, and tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 22% | 50 min17 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.Done daily by most who do it. | 10% | 38 min17 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Straighten workpieces and remove dents, using straightening presses and hammers.Done daily by most who do it. | 7% | 50 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| File or finish surfaces of workpieces, using prescribed hand tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 29 min13 min to 1.1 h | Stays with people | |
| Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 25 min13 min to 50 min | 100%Half by now | |
| Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 13 min4 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.Done daily by most who do it. | 6% | 17 min8 min to 33 min | Stays with people | |
| Remove and replace worn or broken machine parts, using hand tools.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 38 min17 min to 1.7 h | Stays with people | |
| Fit parts together in pre-assembly to ensure that dimensions are accurate.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 25 min13 min to 1.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Dress grinding wheels, according to specifications.Done daily by most who do it. | 5% | 17 min8 min to 38 min | Stays with people | |
| Attach workpieces to grinding machines and form specified sections and repair cracks, using welding or brazing equipment.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 1.3 h25 min to 2.5 h | Stays with people | |
| Inspect dies to detect defects, assess wear, and verify specifications, using micrometers, steel gauge pins, and loupes.Done daily by most who do it. | 4% | 29 min17 min to 50 min | Stays with people |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand11% now, 11% by 2028
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic18% now, 18% by 2028
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing7% now, 7% by 2028
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic30% now, 38% by 2028
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders7% now, 7% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
- Sawmills and Wood Preservation1,330 people
- Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance640 people
- Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing490 people
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)390 people
- Animal Slaughtering and Processing300 people
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).