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.
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
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.
How you compare to similar Production roles
Your tasks, by AI exposure
No automatable tasks identified for this role — its real, individually-assessed tasks consistently read as augmentable (83%).
- 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.
- 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
Your AI-Safe Career Report
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Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium — adapting pays. — PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
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