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Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: Job Description
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.
What Tasks Do Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Perform?
Typical responsibilities of coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders include:
- 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.
What Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Need to Know
Successful coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- 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
There are roughly 766,385 coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders working in the United States today. Demand is forecast 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 |
Wages vary widely 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 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Pay for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| 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 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
| 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 |
Top Industries Employing Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Most coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders are concentrated in the following sectors:
| 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 |
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders work in the following industries:
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)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders is shaped by 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
Getting Started in This Career
Most coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
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)
Where to Study
Students preparing for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders commonly pursue 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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