Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production
Spray and rolling machines are loaded and watched as primers, lacquers, enamels, or rust-proofing go onto metal, plastic, wood, glass, cloth, ceramics, or paper. Some of the same work happens in auto body shops, where a spray gun is held on the vehicle, seams are sealed, and rust-resistant undercoats go on first. Blisters and streaks are corrected as they appear; sprayers are taken apart, cleaned with solvents and wire brushes, then put back together. Hoppers and pans are filled, work areas are cleaned, and leftover coating waste is disposed of as hazardous material. Tends to suit people who prefer machine setup, spotting coating defects, and keeping spray equipment clean.
Typical education: High School Diploma or GED
Annual Median Wage in Field (2025)
$48'250
Median Wage Market Position
$48'250
What you might do
- Aim spray guns to coat parts with primer or finish
- Watch painting runs for blisters or streaks
- Fill hoppers, pans, and troughs with coating
- Take sprayers apart, clean them, and reassemble
- Apply rust-proof undercoats and seal seams
- Dispose of leftover hazardous waste as required
Skills that matter
- Control of spray and rolling machines
- Watching for blisters and streaks
- Filling hoppers with coating material
- Tear-down and solvent cleaning of sprayers
- Rust-proof undercoats and seam sealing
- Safe disposal of hazardous waste
AI & the future of this role
Setting up and tending spray and coating lines is partly programmable, so smarter controls could shrink routine operator roles on standard runs. Changeovers, finish troubleshooting, and equipment care still call for experienced judgment on the floor.
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Includes O*NET® 30.3 Database information by USDOL/ETA under CC BY 4.0; modified by LostInCareer. Wage/outlook from BLS. Attribution details