Education:
63%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
27%
Less than a High School Diploma
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
This is a sub-career of
Painting and Coating Worker
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Select a specialized sub-career for more details.
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Job Outlook:
Little or no change
Education:
High school diploma or equivalent
Salary
High:
$63,430.00
Average:
$46,440.00
Hourly
Average:
$22.33
What they 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.
On the job, you would:
- 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.
Important Qualities
Artistic ability. Some painting and coating workers make elaborate or decorative designs.
Color vision. Workers must be able to blend new paint colors in order to match existing colors on a surface.
Mechanical skills. Workers must be able to operate and maintain sprayers that apply paints and coatings.
Physical stamina. Workers may have to squat or bend frequently and stand for extended periods.
Physical strength. Workers may need to lift heavy objects. Some products that are painted or coated may weigh more than 50 pounds.
Personality
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Characteristics of this Career |
|---|---|---|---|
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84% | Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks. | |
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82% | Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations. | |
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75% | Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations. | |
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74% | Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace. | |
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74% | Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles. | |
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73% | Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done. | |
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73% | Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude. | |
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71% | Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks. | |
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70% | Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations. | |
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66% | Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges. | |
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63% | Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical. | |
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63% | Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job. | |
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60% | Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems. | |
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58% | Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
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100% | Realistic - Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services. | |
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61% | Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Values of the Work Environment |
|---|---|---|---|
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67% | Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical. |
Aptitude
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality |
|---|---|---|---|
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72% | Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer). | |
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69% | Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions. | |
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69% | Visual Color Discrimination - The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness. | |
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69% | Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position. | |
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66% | Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects. | |
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56% | Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects. | |
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56% | Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance. | |
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53% | Trunk Strength - The ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body repeatedly or continuously over time without "giving out" or fatiguing. | |
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53% | Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged. | |
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53% | Perceptual Speed - The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object. | |
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53% | Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material. |
Job Details
Responsibilities
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.
Operate painting or coating equipment.
Record operational or production data.
Operate painting or coating equipment.
Load materials into production equipment.
Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
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.
Attach decorative or functional accessories to products.
Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Polish materials, workpieces, or finished products.
Clean work areas.
Clean production equipment.
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 painting or coating equipment.
Operate cranes, hoists, or other moving or lifting equipment.
Prepare surfaces for finishing.
Prepare surfaces for finishing.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Assemble temporary equipment or structures.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
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96% | Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls? | |
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92% | Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable - How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable? | |
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90% | Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions? | |
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87% | Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job? | |
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84% | Exposed to Contaminants - How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)? | |
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82% | Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing? | |
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81% | Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets - How much does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets? | |
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81% | Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines? | |
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80% | Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization? | |
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77% | Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job? | |
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76% | Very Hot or Cold Temperatures - How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures? | |
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74% | Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job? | |
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71% | Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection - How much does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection? | |
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70% | Spend Time Walking and Running - How much does this job require walking and running? | |
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70% | Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer? | |
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69% | Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people? | |
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67% | Responsible for Others' Health and Safety - How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job? | |
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67% | Exposed to Hazardous Conditions - How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions? | |
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63% | Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it? | |
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61% | Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment - How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.) | |
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59% | Spend Time Bending or Twisting the Body - How much does this job require bending or twisting your body? | |
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57% | Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers? | |
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57% | Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job? | |
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56% | Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer? | |
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56% | Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in non-controlled environmental conditions (e.g., warehouse without heat)? | |
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52% | Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings - How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings? | |
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59% | Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week. |
| A3 | Your Strengths | Importance |
Tasks & Values |
|---|---|---|---|
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82% | Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources. | |
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80% | Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events. | |
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79% | Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials - Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects. | |
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75% | Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems. | |
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68% | Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems. | |
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67% | Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards. | |
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66% | Controlling Machines and Processes - Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles). | |
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65% | Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data. | |
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64% | Handling and Moving Objects - Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things. | |
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62% | Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people. | |
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62% | Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work. | |
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61% | Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment - Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles. | |
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60% | Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job. | |
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60% | Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others. | |
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59% | Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information - Estimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity. | |
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56% | Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts. | |
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55% | Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person. | |
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52% | Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form. | |
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52% | Performing General Physical Activities - Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling materials. | |
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51% | Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money. |
What Painting and Coating Workers Do
Painters use spray guns to apply paints and coatings in factories.
Painting and coating workers apply finishes, often using machines, to products such as cars, jewelry, and ceramics.
Duties
Painting and coating workers typically do the following:
- Set up and operate machines that paint or coat products
- Select the paint or coating needed for the job
- Clean and prepare products to be painted or coated
- Determine the required flow of paint and the quality of the coating
- Apply paint or coating
- Measure the thickness of paint or coating material applied
- Clean and maintain tools, equipment, and work areas
Painting and coating workers apply paint, varnish, rustproofing, or other types of liquid treatments to finish and protect products. They often use machines to spread the liquid over large surfaces but may use handtools on small items or hard-to-reach surfaces.
Before workers apply the paint or other coating, they prepare the surface by sanding or cleaning it to prevent dust from becoming trapped under the paint. They also may cover portions of the product with tape and paper to prevent the paint or coating from touching those areas.
After the product is prepared, workers may use a number of techniques to apply the paint or coating. Common techniques include spraying products with paint or coating and dipping items in a large vat of paint or other coating. Many factories use automated painting systems. Workers may measure the paint thickness using a coating thickness gauge or painter meter.
The following are examples of types of painting and coating workers:
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders use spraying or rolling machines to apply lacquer, enamel, or other coatings to a variety of products, such as cars, boats, and glassware. These workers position the spray guns, set the nozzles, and synchronize the action of the guns with the speed of the conveyor carrying products through the machine. During the process, they program the machine, tend the equipment, watch gauges on the control panel, and check products to ensure that they are being painted evenly. The operator may use a manual spray gun to touch up flaws.
Painting, coating, and decorating workers use manual spray guns, pens, or brushes to apply various coatings to furniture, glass, pottery, toys, books, and other products. They also may immerse pieces into the liquid and place the coated items into ovens or dryers to harden the finishes. In addition, these workers examine products to be sure that they meet specifications.
For information about workers who paint walls, equipment, buildings, bridges, and other structures, see the profile on construction and maintenance painters.
Work Environment
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders held about 172,400 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders were as follows:
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 17% |
| Transportation equipment manufacturing | 16 |
| Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair | 14 |
| Machinery manufacturing | 7 |
| Furniture and related product manufacturing | 4 |
Painting, coating, and decorating workers held about 13,500 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of painting, coating, and decorating workers were as follows:
| Fabricated metal product manufacturing | 12% |
| Miscellaneous manufacturing | 11 |
| Self-employed workers | 10 |
| Furniture and related product manufacturing | 7 |
| Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair | 5 |
Painting and coating is usually done in specially ventilated areas. Workers wear masks or respirators to protect themselves from inhaling microscopic particles or harmful chemicals. They also may wear gloves and other protective equipment to shield their skin and clothing.
Painting and coating workers often stand for long periods. They also may have to bend, stoop, or crouch in uncomfortable positions to reach different parts of the products they work on.
Injuries and Illnesses
Painting, coating, and decorating workers have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. Hazards include muscle strains and exposure to toxic materials. Factories have installed sophisticated paint booths and fresh-air ventilation systems to create a safe work environment.
Work Schedules
Most painting and coating workers are employed full time.
Getting Started
How to Become a Painting and Coating Worker
Painting and coating workers can usually become proficient in less than 1 year.
Painting and coating workers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. New workers usually train on the job for several months to attain competency.
Education
Painting and coating workers usually need a high school diploma or equivalent for entry-level positions. However, some employers hire candidates who do not have formal educational credentials.
Some automotive painters attend vocational-technical programs in which they receive practical instruction in mixing and applying different types of paint.
Training
To attain competency, painting and coating workers typically receive on-the-job training. Sometimes this training lasts only a few days, but it usually lasts several months.
Workers who operate computer-controlled equipment may require additional training in computer programming.
Job Outlook
Overall employment of painting and coating workers is projected to show little or no change from 2022 to 2032.
Despite limited employment growth, about 16,700 openings for painting and coating workers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Many consumer, commercial, and industrial products require painting and coating services, such as in automotive paint repair or detailing. However, automation is expected to limit opportunities for these workers in some manufacturing establishments.
Contacts for More Information
For more information about job opportunities for painting and coating workers, visit
- Local manufacturers
- Automotive body repair shops
- Motor vehicle dealers
- Vocational schools
- Local unions representing painting and coating workers
- Local offices of state employment services
For a directory of certified automotive painting programs, visit
Similar Occupations
This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of painting and coating workers.
| Occupation | Job Duties | Entry-Level Education | Median Annual Pay, May 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Automotive Body and Glass Repairers |
Automotive body and glass repairers restore, refinish, and replace vehicle bodies and frames, windshields, and window glass. |
High school diploma or equivalent | $47,270 |
|
Painters, Construction and Maintenance |
Painters apply paint, stain, and coatings to walls and ceilings, buildings, large machinery and equipment, and bridges and other structures. |
No formal educational credential | $46,090 |
|
Metal and Plastic Machine Workers |
Metal and plastic machine workers set up and operate equipment that cuts, shapes, and forms metal and plastic materials or pieces. |
See How to Become One | $41,060 |