Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Food Batchmakers: $49K vs $42K Median Pay

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Food Batchmakers: what changes?

Consider Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders if you want to set up, operate, or tend machines to crush, grind, or polish materials, such as coal, glass, grain, stone, food, or rubber. Consider Food Batchmakers if you would rather set up and operate equipment that mixes or blends ingredients used in the manufacturing of food products. Both list high school diploma or equivalent; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders and Food Batchmakers. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

National median pay (2025): $48,540
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Observe operation of equipment to ensure continuity of flow, safety, and efficient operation, and to detect malfunctions.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 2,300

Know before you choose

BLS projects employment to shrink 1.7% from 2025 to 2035. Openings can still occur when existing workers leave.

See the full Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders brief

Food Batchmakers

National median pay (2025): $42,290
Route into the job: High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.
Work to investigate: Record production and test data for each food product batch, such as the ingredients used, temperature, test results, and time cycle.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 23,100

Know before you choose

Long periods of standing are part of the normal workday.

See the full Food Batchmakers brief

How the national numbers differ

Food Batchmakers has the edge on projected growth

Food Batchmakers is at 6.5% projected growth, compared with -1.7% projected growth for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Food Batchmakers has the edge on annual openings

Food Batchmakers is at 23,100 annual openings, compared with 2,300 annual openings for Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders has the edge on median pay

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is at $48,540, compared with $42,290 for Food Batchmakers.

36.8/ 100

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

60.8/ 100

Food Batchmakers

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Food Batchmakers

Dimension	Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	Food Batchmakers
Median pay (2025)	$48,540	$42,290
Pay percentile	28.4 percentile	14 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	-1.7%	6.5%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	2,300	23,100
2025 employment	26,600	176,800
How you qualify	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing	High school diploma or equivalent; More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 2	Job Zone 2
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.	More than one month and up to 12 months of on-the-job training, in addition to any qualifying education or licensing.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders brief Read Food Batchmakers brief

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Food Batchmakers: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Food Batchmakers

How the national numbers differ

Food Batchmakers has the edge on projected growth

Food Batchmakers has the edge on annual openings

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders has the edge on median pay

Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders vs Food Batchmakers

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