Home / Career Explorer / Production

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

	Median Wage (USD, 2024)	Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)	Projected Growth (2024-2034)
National Statistics	$47590	15800	0.7%
State Statistics	-	-	-
City Statistics	-	-	-

Statistics

National

State

City

State

City

$47590

Median Wage (USD, 2024)

15800

Projected Job Openings (2024-2034)

0.7%

Projected Growth (2024-2034)

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.

Experience Requirements Overview

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Education, Training and Experience

Required Level of Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience: N.A.

On-Site or In-Plant Training: N.A.

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Detailed Work Activities

Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
Inspect finishes of workpieces or finished products.
Measure ingredients or substances to be used in production processes.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
Operate painting or coating equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Load materials into production equipment.
Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Connect supply lines to production equipment or tools.
Remove products or workpieces from production equipment.
Weigh finished products.
Measure dimensions of completed products or workpieces to verify conformance to specifications.
Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
Clean work areas.
Clean production equipment.
Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
Dispose of trash or waste materials.
Smooth metal surfaces or edges.
Fill cracks, imperfections, or holes in products or workpieces.
Mix ingredients to create specific finishes.
Monitor equipment operation to ensure that products are not flawed.
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
Prepare surfaces for finishing.
Assemble temporary equipment or structures.

Work Values

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Working Conditions

Recognition

Relationships

Support

Independence

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.
Observe machine gauges and equipment operation to detect defects or deviations from standards, and make adjustments as necessary.
Examine, measure, weigh, or test sample products to ensure conformance to specifications.
Buff and wax the finished paintwork.
Use brush to hand-paint areas in need of retouching or unreachable with a spray gun.
Thread or feed items or products through or around machine rollers and dryers.
Weigh or measure chemicals, coatings, or paints before adding them to machines.
Operate auxiliary machines or equipment used in coating or painting processes.
Remove materials, parts, or workpieces from painting or coating machines, using hand tools.
Record operational data on specified forms.
Operate lifting or moving devices to move equipment or materials to access areas to be painted.
Set up portable equipment, such as ventilators, exhaust units, ladders, or scaffolding.
Adjust controls on infrared ovens, heat lamps, portable ventilators, or exhaust units to speed the drying of surfaces between coats.
Apply primer over any repairs made to surfaces.
Fill small dents or scratches with body fillers and smooth surfaces to prepare for painting.
Mix paints to match color specifications or original colors, stirring or thinning paints, using spatulas or power mixing equipment.
Remove grease, dirt, paint, or rust from surfaces in preparation for paint application, using abrasives, solvents, brushes, blowtorches, washing tanks, or sandblasters.
Sand and apply sealer to properly dried finish.

Work Styles

Innovation

A tendency to be inventive, to be imaginative, and to adopt new perspectives on ways to accomplish work.

Innovation

Achievement Orientation

Intellectual Curiosity

Tolerance for Ambiguity

Initiative

Adaptability

Self-Confidence

Perseverance

Leadership Orientation

Humility

Sincerity

Empathy

Cooperation

Optimism

Social Orientation

Cautiousness

Attention to Detail

Dependability

Integrity

Stress Tolerance

Self-Control

Data Source: This page includes information from the O*NET 30.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This page includes Employment Projections program, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Session has been expired