Production · Holland code RC
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.
Also called: Automotive Painter (Auto Painter), Coater Operator, Paint Technician (Paint Tech), Painter, Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech), Hand Sprayer, Industrial Painter, Powder Coater.
O*NET 51-9124.00
At a glance
- US median annual pay
- $48,250
- Middle half earn $40,590 to $59,680. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- 63% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
- Preparation needed
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.
What the work involves
The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.
- 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.
- Thread or feed items or products through or around machine rollers and dryers.
Skills and knowledge it leans on
Skills
- Monitoring3.1 / 5
- Critical Thinking2.8 / 5
- Reading Comprehension2.6 / 5
- Active Listening2.6 / 5
- Speaking2.6 / 5
- Learning Strategies2.6 / 5
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical3.0 / 5
- English Language2.6 / 5
- Production and Processing2.6 / 5
- Education and Training2.2 / 5
- Chemistry2.1 / 5
- Customer and Personal Service2.0 / 5
Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.
Who tends to enjoy it
How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.
- Realistic100
- Investigative8
- Artistic18
- Social4
- Enterprising1
- Conventional44
The same work abroad
Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.
European occupation titles (ESCO)
- lacquer spray gun operator · DE Spritzlackierer/Spritzlackiererin · FR laqueur au pistolet/laqueuse au pistolet
- surface treatment operator · DE Korrosionsschützer/Korrosionsschützerin · FR opérateur de traitement de surface/opératrice de traitement de surface
- transport equipment painter · DE Fahrzeuglackierer/Fahrzeuglackiererin · FR peintre pour les équipements de transport
- rustproofer · DE Korrosionsschützer/Korrosionsschützerin · FR opérateur de peinture industrielle/opératrice de peinture industrielle
- coating machine operator · DE Beschichtungsmaschinenführer/Beschichtungsmaschinenführerin · FR enduiseur industriel/enduiseuse industrielle
- dip tank operator · DE Tauchlackierer/Tauchlackiererin · FR opérateur de trempe/opératrice de trempe
Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)
- Painters and decorators (5323)86,200 employed
- Vehicle paint technicians (5233)15,500 employed
- Metal making and treating process operatives (8115)11,500 employed
Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.
Pay across Europe, for the whole group
Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.
| Country | Median pay |
|---|---|
| Belgium | €40,086 |
| Germany | €38,638 |
| Austria | €38,194 |
| Sweden | €37,856 |
| Netherlands | €37,077 |
| Ireland | €36,098 |
| France | €27,145 |
| Italy | €26,488 |
| Spain | €22,817 |
| Portugal | €11,142 |
| Poland | €10,099 |
Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.
Related careers
Is it a fit for you?
Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.
Take the career interests test