How to become a 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.

Steps to get there

Most employers expect usually requires a high school diploma or ged, though some occupations may not..Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

What coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders do

• Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.
• Use brush to hand-paint areas in need of retouching or unreachable with a spray gun.
• 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.
• Clean equipment and work areas.
• Buff and wax the finished paintwork.

Skills that matter most

• Monitoring
• Critical Thinking
• Reading Comprehension
• Active Listening
• Speaking
• Learning Strategies
• Active Learning
• Writing

Is coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders a good career?

On the numbers, this job is close to the average across occupations. Median pay is 5% below the all-occupation median. Whether it fits you depends on the work itself, the schooling you are willing to do and where you want to live.

Where it pays most

• Alaska $69,910
• Washington $59,980
• New Jersey $58,240
• Maine $56,200
• Maryland $55,510

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary by state and city

Sources: O*NET® 31.0 (CC BY 4.0, USDOL/ETA) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025.