As of June 2026, Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners has an AI-exposure score of 43/100 (Moderate exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index, blending O*NET tasks, the Anthropic Economic Index, the Penn/OpenAI study, and BLS data. This is an estimate of task exposure, not a prediction of job loss.

AI Exposure Score for

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

43/100
Moderate exposure
LowModerateElevatedHighVery High

More exposed than 16% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$50,060. About 500 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 — growth plus replacement).

Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) — your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.

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How you compare to similar Production roles

Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (you)
43
Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing
43
Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers
43
Tire Builders
43
Laundry and Dry-Cleaning Workers
43
Textile Winding, Twisting, and Drawing Out Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
43
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Your tasks, by AI exposure

Automatable

No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as augmentable (83%).

Augmentable
  • File or finish surfaces of workpieces, using prescribed hand tools.
  • Compute numbers, widths, and angles of cutting tools, micrometers, scales, and gauges, and adjust tools to produce specified cuts.
  • Turn valves to direct flow of coolant against cutting wheels and workpieces during grinding.
  • Monitor machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, stopping machines when problems occur.
  • Study blueprints or layouts of metal workpieces to determine grinding procedures, and to plan machine setups and operational sequences.
  • Perform basic maintenance, such as cleaning and lubricating machine parts.
  • Select and mount grinding wheels on machines, according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures.
  • Remove finished workpieces from machines and place them in boxes or on racks, setting aside pieces that are defective.
  • Dress grinding wheels, according to specifications.
  • Remove and replace worn or broken machine parts, using hand tools.
  • Set up and operate grinding or polishing machines to grind metal workpieces, such as dies, parts, and tools.
  • Fit parts together in pre-assembly to ensure that dimensions are accurate.
  • Attach workpieces to grinding machines and form specified sections and repair cracks, using welding or brazing equipment.
  • Duplicate workpiece contours, using tracer attachments.
  • Place workpieces in electroplating solutions or apply pigments to surfaces of workpieces to highlight ridges and grooves.
Durable
  • Straighten workpieces and remove dents, using straightening presses and hammers.
  • Inspect dies to detect defects, assess wear, and verify specifications, using micrometers, steel gauge pins, and loupes.
  • Inspect, feel, and measure workpieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications.

Safer adjacent roles

Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
72% skills overlap · Moderate exposure · ~US$42,660
41
Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
64% skills overlap · Moderate exposure · ~US$50,620
48
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
56% skills overlap · Elevated exposure · ~US$52,800
50
Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
48% skills overlap · Moderate exposure · ~US$43,380
41
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
40% skills overlap · Elevated exposure · ~US$46,570
53
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
40% skills overlap · Elevated exposure · ~US$47,180
58
Tool and Die Makers
40% skills overlap · Moderate exposure · ~US$64,050
46

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Important: This is an estimate of AI exposure, not a prediction that your job will disappear. It is designed to help you understand how your role may change and improve your career resilience.