Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Also called: 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)
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.
What Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders do
Typical 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.
- Start and stop operation of machines, using levers or buttons.
- Determine paint flow, viscosity, and coating quality by performing visual inspections, or by using viscometers.
- Attach hoses or nozzles to machines, using wrenches and pliers, and make adjustments to obtain the proper dispersion of spray.
- Turn dials, handwheels, valves, or switches to regulate conveyor speeds, machine temperature, air pressure and circulation, and the flow or spray of coatings or paints.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary
The median annual wage for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $48,250 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $36,260 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $74,730. The mean annual wage is $52,620.
The mean hourly wage of $25.00 is 3.4× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $48,250 → in 3 years $52,900 → in 5 years $56,200 → in 10 years $65,400 (10-year range $56,300–$75,900). The model assumes pay growth of +3.1% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
Skills, education and requirements for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.