Production · Holland code RC

Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

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.

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

O*NET 51-4193.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $43,960; Middle half earn $37,260 to $49,600. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Less than a High School Diploma; 49% 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.

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.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
Active Listening3.1 / 5
Monitoring3.1 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Critical Thinking3.0 / 5
Writing2.8 / 5

Knowledge areas

Production and Processing4.2 / 5
Mathematics3.5 / 5
Chemistry3.4 / 5
English Language3.4 / 5
Mechanical3.3 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.3 / 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
Investigative21
Artistic7
Social0
Enterprising0
Conventional52

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)

surface engineer · DE Ingenieur Oberflächentechnik/Ingenieurin Oberflächentechnik · FR ingénieur traitement de surface/ingénieure traitement de surface
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
metal polisher · DE Metallpolierer/Metallpoliererin · FR polisseur de métaux/polisseuse de métaux
rustproofer · DE Korrosionsschützer/Korrosionsschützerin · FR opérateur de peinture industrielle/opératrice de peinture industrielle
anodising machine operator · DE Eloxierer/Eloxiererin · FR anodiseur industriel/anodiseuse industrielle

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Vehicle paint technicians (5233)15,500 employed
Production and process engineers (2125)56,900 employed
Engineering project managers and project engineers (2127)79,700 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 “Plant and machine operators and assemblers”. 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.

Median annual earnings, Plant and machine operators and assemblers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€39,630
Netherlands	€37,567
Austria	€37,304
Sweden	€36,005
Germany	€34,433
Ireland	€32,617
France	€28,550
Italy	€28,330
Spain	€24,409
Portugal	€11,309
Poland	€10,259

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.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.90. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (51-4193).

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