Production
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
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.
Median pay
$48,250
Growth to 2035
+3%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
15,300
Time to qualify*
6 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Exposure to disease
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders: 34% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- 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.
Also called: Automotive Painter (Auto Painter) · Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech) · Coater Operator · Hand Sprayer · Industrial Painter · Paint Technician (Paint Tech) · Painter · Powder Coater
Outlook and AI
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders held 164,800 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 168,900 by 2035 (+3%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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