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Tool grinder

Also called grinder, toolgrinder, tool sharpener

Tool grinder perform precision grinding processes on metal objects and tools. They grind, sharpen or smoothen metal surfaces using the appropriate tools and instruments. Tool grinders follow tooling instructions and assure the processed workpiece meets the necessary specifications.

Will there be jobs?Limited prospects17 jobs to fill by 2035 for every 100 people doing this work today.Metal, machinery and related trades workersWhat does it pay?About averageFrom about €1,200 (Bulgaria) to €5,100 (Denmark) a month, depending on the country.Estimate · Metal, machinery and related trades workersWhat do I need to study?Upper secondary or vocational7 in 10 finished upper secondary or vocational training. 6 in 10 train through vocational routes.Metal, machinery and related trades workersWill AI change it?Very littleLevel 1 of 6. AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.Metal polishers, wheel grinders and tool sharpeners · ILO

What you'd do

Metal polishers, wheel grinders and tool sharpeners · ILO
  • Operating fixed or portable buffing and polishing machines
  • Sharpening cutting tools and instruments using grinding wheels or mechanically operated grinding machines
  • Repairing, adjusting and sharpening saw blades and metal teeth of cylinders in textile carding machines
  • Dressing grinding wheels, according to specifications
  • Monitoring machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, and stopping machines when problems occur
  • Inspecting, feeling, and measuring work pieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications
  • Selecting and mounting grinding wheels on machines according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures
Remove inadequate workpiecesRemove processed workpieceDispose of cutting waste materialConsult technical resourcesOperate precision measuring equipment+ 8 more essential skills
What the work is like
  • Indoors
  • A mix of sitting and standing
  • Mostly working alone
  • Good freedom to decide
  • Usually 40 hours a week
  • Deadlines most weeks
  • Some repetitive tasks
US data: based on the O*NET profile of the US job "Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners"

Will there be jobs?

Limited prospects

Fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.

People working as metal, machinery and related trades workers in the EU
7.34m7.68m7.01m 201520232035

Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.

Jobs to fill, 2026–2035
1,868,000 replacing leavers 594,000 jobs disappear
Jobs to fill per 100 people working now
Metal, machinery and related trades workers17
All jobs29
Right now
6 of 27 countries report a shortage of metal polishers, wheel grinders and tool sharpeners, 4 a surplus.
Metal polishers, wheel grinders and tool sharpeners · EURES

What does it pay?

About average

Pay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,200 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,100 (Denmark), before tax.

Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.

Among craft and related trades workers in the EU, women earn 26% less per hour than men. Craft and related trades workers · Eurostat

What do I need to study?

Upper secondary or vocational

Upper secondary or vocational training in mechanics and metal trades is the usual route.

Highest qualification of metal, machinery and related trades workers (EU, 2025)
Degree 11%Vocational 62%General secondary 6%Basic schooling 21%
Fields that teach it
Mechanics and metal trades · Wholesale and retail sales · Chemical engineering and processes
Vocational route, EU
6 in 10 trainees in this field

Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.

Will AI change it?

Very little

AI could help with only small parts of the tasks.

How exposed is this job? ILO scale
Very low
Low
Some tasks
Moderate
Significant
High

Average task score 0.17 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).

See the score for each of the 7 tasks
Monitoring machine operations to determine whether adjustments are necessary, and stopping machines when problems occur0.28
Inspecting, feeling, and measuring work pieces to ensure that surfaces and dimensions meet specifications0.16
Sharpening cutting tools and instruments using grinding wheels or mechanically operated grinding machines0.15
Dressing grinding wheels, according to specifications0.15
Repairing, adjusting and sharpening saw blades and metal teeth of cylinders in textile carding machines0.15
Operating fixed or portable buffing and polishing machines0.15
Selecting and mounting grinding wheels on machines according to specifications, using hand tools and applying knowledge of abrasives and grinding procedures0.14

Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for metal polishers, wheel grinders and tool sharpeners. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).