Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
SOC 51-9124BLS OEWS May 2025
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. Excludes “Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic” (51-4193).
National median · BLS
$48,250
▲ +1.39%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$52,620
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
158,740
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$36,260
25th
$40,590
Median (50th)
$48,250
75th
$59,680
90th — top pay
$74,730
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
BLS projects employment of coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders to grow 2.5% from 2025 to 2035, slower than the 3.5% average for all occupations.
About 15,300 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
164,800 → 168,900
+4,100 jobs
Projected change
+2.5%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
15,300
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
3.8% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 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.
About the job
What coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders 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.
Clean equipment and work areas.
Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $48,250.
