Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: Career Profile
Set up, operate, or tend spraying or rolling machines to coat or paint any of a wide variety of products, including glassware, cloth, ceramics, metal, plastic, paper, or wood, with lacquer, silver, copper, rubber, varnish, glaze, enamel, oil, or rust-proofing materials. Includes painters of transportation vehicles such as painters in auto body repair facilities.
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The Daily Work of Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Do?
The core tasks performed by coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders cover:
- Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.
- Hold or position spray guns to direct spray onto articles.
- Spray prepared surfaces with specified amounts of primers and decorative or finish coatings.
- Monitor painting operations to identify flaws, such as blisters or streaks, and correct their causes.
- Disassemble, clean, and reassemble sprayers or power equipment, using solvents, wire brushes, and cloths.
- Fill hoppers, reservoirs, troughs, or pans with material used to coat, paint, or spray, using conveyors or pails.
- Clean equipment and work areas.
- Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Types of Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Jobs
Common job titles for this role include:
- Abrasive Coating Machine Operator
- Abrasive Coating Machine Setup Operator
- Air Drier
- Air Drier Machine Operator
- Aircraft Painter
- Auto Body Painter (Automotive Body Painter)
- Auto Painter (Automobile Painter)
- Auto Refinisher (Automobile Refinisher)
Job Outlook
The U.S. employs around 766,385 coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +9.2% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $46,060 |
| Hourly median | $22.14 |
| 10th percentile | $32,025 |
| 25th percentile | $39,043 |
| 75th percentile | $53,078 |
| 90th percentile | $60,095 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $63,440 |
| New Jersey | $59,840 |
| Maryland | $57,860 |
| Maine | $56,770 |
| Washington | $56,630 |
| Minnesota | $54,240 |
| Hawaii | $53,350 |
| California | $51,710 |
| North Dakota | $51,380 |
| Kentucky | $50,700 |
| Virginia | $50,060 |
| Rhode Island | $49,850 |
| Mississippi | $49,750 |
| Massachusetts | $49,700 |
| Connecticut | $49,490 |
| Colorado | $49,040 |
| Tennessee | $48,780 |
| Nevada | $48,460 |
| Wisconsin | $48,100 |
| South Dakota | $48,030 |
| New Hampshire | $47,850 |
| Oregon | $47,840 |
| Montana | $47,740 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,560 |
| Iowa | $47,530 |
| Kansas | $47,500 |
| Louisiana | $47,160 |
| New York | $47,150 |
| North Carolina | $46,970 |
| South Carolina | $46,850 |
| Florida | $46,800 |
| Nebraska | $46,780 |
| Ohio | $46,650 |
| Texas | $46,630 |
| Vermont | $46,510 |
| Missouri | $46,390 |
| Wyoming | $45,920 |
| Idaho | $45,740 |
| Utah | $45,720 |
| New Mexico | $45,660 |
| Illinois | $45,620 |
| Arizona | $45,400 |
| Georgia | $45,340 |
| Arkansas | $45,280 |
| Delaware | $45,230 |
| Oklahoma | $44,870 |
| Indiana | $44,760 |
| Michigan | $43,310 |
| West Virginia | $42,080 |
| Alabama | $40,220 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,580 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Pay for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $52,259 | 12.0% | 0.81 |
| Middle Atlantic | $51,082 | 8.4% | 0.75 |
| New England | $50,407 | 3.6% | 0.77 |
| Plains States | $48,943 | 9.8% | 1.56 |
| Rocky Mountains | $47,064 | 3.0% | 0.80 |
| Southeast | $46,820 | 27.1% | 1.29 |
| Southwest | $46,294 | 13.2% | 1.09 |
| Great Lakes | $45,830 | 22.7% | 1.76 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | CA | $62,800 | 30 |
| Portland-South Portland, ME | ME | $62,330 | 330 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $62,200 | 1,420 |
| Savannah, GA | GA | $61,580 | 440 |
| Gulfport-Biloxi, MS | MS | $61,190 | 650 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | MO | $60,820 | 110 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | SC | $60,390 | 730 |
| Grand Island, NE | NE | $60,340 | 90 |
Industry Breakdown
The largest employers of coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 107,710 | $46,900 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 29,170 | $52,010 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 4,890 | $39,350 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 4,760 | $48,730 |
| Retail Trade | 4,160 | $47,370 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4,050 | $44,620 |
| Construction | 2,170 | $54,530 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 990 | $59,020 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
Work Environment
The work environment for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Exposed to Contaminants
How to Become Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Most coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance (Primary-Long)
- Automotive Body and Related Repairers (Supplemental)
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Maintenance Workers, Machinery (Supplemental)
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators (Primary-Long)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
Degree Programs
Future coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders often complete programs in:
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians
1 programs across 1 majors
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders).
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