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.
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 . The role reports a median annual salary of $47,590 in the US. Entry typically requires a High school diploma or equivalent, and shows moderate AI exposure (0.52 on a 0-1 scale) — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. The most in-demand skills for the role include Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance.
Pay in the UK
UK: median £32,871 a year for Metal making and treating process operatives (ONS ASHE 2025, full-time)
UK jobs are grouped differently; this is the closest UK occupation group (ONS SOC 2020 8115). ONS rates this estimate reasonably precise. 2025 provisional figures; ONS revises them a year later. Source: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (Open Government Licence)
Pay in India (occupation group)
No official India pay figure for this career: it falls in more than one occupation group, and the Government of India's labour survey (PLFS) publishes pay only by occupation group.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- English Language
- Production and Processing
- Education and Training
- Chemistry
- Public Safety and Security
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
What you'd actually do
- 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.
Tools & technology you'd use
Frequently asked questions
What does Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders do?
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.
How much does Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders earn?
The median annual salary for Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders in the US is $47,590.
How do I become coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders?
The typical entry education is a High school diploma or equivalent. Building a foundation in the top skills below will strengthen your application.
What skills does Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders need?
The most in-demand skills for this role include Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing. These are the skills O*NET identifies as most important for competent performance.
Will AI replace Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders?
Our AI-durability model gives Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders a score of 0.52 on a 0-1 scale (higher = more exposure). That places it at moderate AI exposure — some tasks are being automated but the role adapts. Learning to work with AI tools rather than against them is the path forward.
How hard is it to enter this field?
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders has low barrier to entry — generally accessible — you can enter with basic credentials and on-the-job learning.