Metal polisher
Also known as: tube finisher, tube buffer, mechanical buffer, automatic metal finisher, mechanical finisher, smooth clean surface operator
About this occupation
Metal polishers use metal working equipment and machinery to polish and buff almost finished metal workpieces in order to enhance their smoothness and appearance and to remove oxidisation, tarnishing the metal after the other fabrication processes. They may operate equipment using diamond solutions, silicon-made polishing pads, or working wheels with a leather polishing strop, and tend to these materials ensuring their effectiveness.
Essential skills and knowledge
- spot metal imperfections
- troubleshoot
- set up the controller of a machine
- ensure equipment availability
- quality and cycle time optimisation
- buffing motions
- remove processed workpiece
- apply polishing lubricants
- quality standards
- supply machine
- types of metal
- remove inadequate workpieces
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (O*NET 51-4033.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- Measure workpieces and lay out work, using precision measuring devices.
- Inspect or measure finished workpieces to determine conformance to specifications, using measuring instruments, such as gauges or micrometers.
- Set and adjust machine controls according to product specifications, using knowledge of machine operation.
- Observe machine operations to detect any problems, making necessary adjustments to correct problems.
- Activate machine start-up switches to grind, lap, hone, debar, shear, or cut workpieces, according to specifications.
- Study blueprints, work orders, or machining instructions to determine product specifications, tool requirements, and operational sequences.
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Investigative
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Reading Comprehension, Judgment and Decision Making, Critical Thinking
US median pay: US$46,550 a year (2025), 67,000 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- MetalworkO*NET: MechanicalVery important (3.6)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.1)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementImportant (3.0)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
- Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.