Oregon Labor Market Information System
WIRED Occupation Report Center
WIRED Occupation Report
for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (51-4194) in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Occupational Description Perform precision smoothing, sharpening, polishing, or grinding of metal objects.
Employment Projections for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
2008
Employment
2018
Employment

Change
%
Change
Projected
Annual
Growth
Openings
Projected
Annual
Replacement
Openings
Projected
Total
Annual
Openings
345 340 -5 -1.4% 0 11 11

Replacement openings are caused by existing workers permanently leaving their occupation. Many additional job openings occur due to job changes within occupations.
Data Sources and Limitations
Wages (All Industries, 2010) for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
10th
Percentile
Wage
25th
Percentile
Wage
50th
Percentile
Wage
75th
Percentile
Wage
90th
Percentile
Wage
Avg
Hourly
Wage
Avg
Annual
Wage
$13.61 $15.67 $21.45 $25.17 $31.83 $21.51 $44,737
Data Sources and Limitations
State of Oregon License Information for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners No statewide license is required for this occupation.


Current Job Openings for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in the Oregon Portion of the WIRED Region There are no openings for this occupation in the WIRED region.


Major Industries of Employment for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Industry NAICS Ownership 2008
Employment
Manufacturing 31 Private 275
Wood Product Manufacturing 321 Private 72
Sawmills and Wood Preservation 3211 Private 64
Primary Metal Manufacturing 331 Private 17
Foundries 3315 Private 12
Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing 332 Private 54
Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing 3322 Private 41
Machine Shops and Threaded Products 3327 Private 12
Machinery Manufacturing 333 Private 101
Industrial Machinery Manufacturing 3332 Private 46
Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing 3335 Private 44
Transportation Equipment Manufacturing 336 Private 27
Wholesale Trade 42 Private 10
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 423 Private 10
Machinery & Supply Merchant Wholesalers 4238 Private 10
Other Services, Ex. Public Admin 81 Private 46
Repair and Maintenance 811 Private 46
Commercial Machinery Repair/Maintenance 8113 Private 46


Educational Requirements for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners Workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter this occupation. In addition, long-term on-the-job training is typically needed, once employed, to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation.
Skills for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
  • Apply Metal Forming And Shaping Techniques And Processes
  • Apply Quality Assurance Techniques
  • Apply Statistical Process Control (Spc)
  • File Metal And Plastic
  • Follow Safety Procedures
  • Inspect Components During Manufacturing
  • Maneuver Heavy Objects
  • Operate Buff And Polishing Machine
  • Operate Cnc Machines
  • Operate Grinding Machines
  • Operate Machine Tools
  • Operate Precision Measuring Devices, Tools And Equipment
  • Operate Shaping And Forming Machines
  • Operate Specialized Metal Shaping Machines
  • Read And Understand Operating Manuals
  • Read Production Layouts
  • Read Schematics And Specifications
  • Recognize Characteristics Of Metals Or Alloys
  • Sandblast Metal Parts And Objects
  • Set Up Machine Tools
  • Smooth, Sharpen, Polish Or Grind Metal Objects
  • Solve Machine Tool Problems
  • Understand Manufacturing Methods And Techniques
  • Use Algebra
  • Use Basic Mathematics
  • Use Geometry
  • Use Metric System


Schools and Training Providers for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners The training providers listed below offer one or more of the following programs:

No providers were found for the above programs of training.


Graduates and Program Completers for training programs related to Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners

Program Award State Completers Year
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Postsec. Awards/Cert./Diplomas; 1-2 yrs. Oregon 5 2008
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant Apprenticeship completers Oregon 2 2008


Employment Service Job Applicants - January 2011 for Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners in the Oregon-Washington WIRED Region
Occupation Oregon Job Applicants by Experience Level Washington Applicants
None <1 Year 1-4 Years 5-9 Years 10+ Years
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners 80 154 294 111 137 0

Occupational experience is largely self-reported.

Applicants counts include only those registered with the Oregon State Employment Department and the Washington State Employment Security Department. They do not represent all job applicants across the WIRED region.

Applicants in Oregon may be listed under multiple occupational categories, so summing applicant counts across occupational classifications will result in some double-counting.

Source: Oregon Employment Department, Washington State Employment Security Department


The Oregon-Washington WIRED Region consists of Clackamas, Columbia, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Washington and Yamhill counties in Oregon, and Clark, Cowlitz and Wahkiakum counties in Washington.