Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand Salary in Hickory, NC

BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics • May 2025 • Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC

Median annual salary $36,680 -12% vs national
Median hourly $17.64
10th percentile $30,660
90th percentile $39,430
Employed locally 80
National median $41,690

Compare Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand salary & buying power

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Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
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Hickory, NC
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    Salary percentile breakdown

    10th
    $30,660
    25th
    $33,540
    50th (median)
    $36,680
    75th
    $36,990
    90th
    $39,430

    Hickory economic context

    Unemployment rate 3.60% 2024 annual avg • BLS LAUS
    Median household income $60,255 2023 • Census ACS
    Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand salary vs area income 61% Median Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand salary is 39% below the area median household income

    Top-paying metros for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $65,540
    St. Cloud, MN $59,480
    Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV $57,590
    Northern Vermont nonmetropolitan area $56,610
    Madison, WI $56,160
    Kansas City, MO-KS $53,620

    Nearby metros — Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand salary comparison

    Metro areaMedian salary
    Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $65,540
    San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $50,560
    Providence-Warwick, RI-MA $49,050
    Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $46,650
    North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) $46,510
    Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $44,930

    Related occupations in Hickory, NC

    OccupationMedian salary
    Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators $38,670
    Upholsterers $59,400
    Sewing Machine Operators $46,360
    First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $63,280
    Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers $41,340
    Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic $52,150

    Frequently asked questions

    How much do Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand make per hour in Hickory?

    The median hourly wage for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand in Hickory, NC is $17.64, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data. Top earners (90th percentile) make $20.24 or more per hour.

    Is Hickory above or below average for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand salaries?

    The median Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand salary in Hickory, NC is 12% below the national median of $41,690. The national figure is from BLS OEWS 2025 data covering all US metropolitan areas.

    What is the entry-level salary for Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand in Hickory?

    Entry-level Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand (10th percentile) earn around $30,660 per year in Hickory, NC. The 25th percentile — typically workers with 1–3 years of experience — earn approximately $33,540.