Metal Workers and Plastic Workers

How to become a Plating Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic

Official title: Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also called: Anodizer, Anodizing Line Operator, Chrome Plater, Coater Associate, Coater Operator, Electro Plater, Galvanizer, Line Operator, Machine Operator, Plater

Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution.

Main tasks

Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
Maintain production records.
Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.

How to become one

Metal and plastic workers typically need a high school diploma to enter the occupation and receive 1 year of on-the-job training. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) tool programmers typically need postsecondary training.

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

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

Ways in

Apprenticeship: Plater.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $43,960 a year The middle half earn $37,260 to $49,600.
About 33,300 people work in this job now, and about 30,100 are projected by 2035. (-9.7%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How do I become a Plating Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

How much does a Plating Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $43,960 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $37,260 to $49,600.

Is a Plating Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 10% by 2035, from about 33,300 to about 30,100 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Plating Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

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

Will AI change the work of a Plating Machine Setter, Operator or Tender, Metal and Plastic?

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.