How to become a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setter, Operator or Tender

Official title: Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Also called: Automotive Painter (Auto Painter), Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech), Coater Operator, Hand Sprayer, Industrial Painter, Paint Technician (Paint Tech), Painter, Powder Coater, Spray Painter, Top Coater

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.

Main 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.

How to become one

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.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Read the full guide from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Coating Machine Operator I.
• Apprenticeship: Electroplater (Existing Title: Electrostatic Powder Coating Technician).
• Apprenticeship: Experimental Laboratory Paint Technician.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $48,250 a year The middle half earn $40,590 to $59,680.
• About 164,800 people work in this job now, and about 168,900 are projected by 2035. (+2.5%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
• Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
• Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

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.

How much does a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setter, Operator or Tender earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $48,250 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $40,590 to $59,680.

Is a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setter, Operator or Tender a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 164,800 to about 168,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

Usually not. Only 6% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Coating Machine Operator I.

Will AI change the work of a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setter, Operator or Tender?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2025-35 edition (published 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS); photographs excluded, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the 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.