JobAfterNext

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.

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$48,250
Employment, U.S.158,740
Median hourly wage$23.20
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$36,260$40,590$48,250$59,680$74,730
By state (50)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama5,250$44,2502.43
Alaska140$69,9100.43
Arizona2,440$47,8600.74
Arkansas1,870$46,3801.41
California11,570$52,9500.62
Colorado1,470$53,5900.50
Connecticut1,550$52,9000.90
Delaware100$46,1200.20
Florida6,200$47,8600.61
Georgia5,900$46,4501.18
Hawaii230$51,9900.35
Idaho760$45,8100.87
Illinois6,390$48,0001.03
Indiana8,030$47,3202.46
Iowa3,220$49,3302.02
Kansas3,160$47,1202.15
Kentucky2,190$47,1701.07
Louisiana810$47,9500.41
Maine680$56,2001.05
Maryland1,010$55,5100.36
Massachusetts2,740$51,1500.74
Michigan7,050$44,6701.57
Minnesota3,430$52,2101.14
Mississippi2,010$53,1701.70
Missouri3,860$47,5801.29
Montana330$47,3800.64
Nebraska740$49,3400.70
Nevada640$45,7500.40
New Hampshire430$48,4100.62
New Jersey2,890$58,2400.66
New Mexico400$45,7300.45
New York3,270$48,0000.33
North Carolina5,700$46,7301.13
North Dakota560$51,0201.28
Ohio8,320$48,5501.47
Oklahoma2,520$45,7801.45
Oregon2,470$49,4001.23
Pennsylvania6,790$48,3401.10
Rhode Island470$49,8500.91
South Carolina2,780$48,2201.18
South Dakota1,150$47,9802.47
Tennessee3,880$47,2101.16
Texas16,600$46,7501.16
Utah1,740$47,8800.98
Vermont170$49,3600.56
Virginia4,130$49,8800.98
Washington3,980$59,9801.10
West Virginia370$42,9500.51
Wisconsin6,120$49,1702.04
Wyoming220$50,2200.77

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood1-20.966
2Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic1-20.966
3Pourers and Casters, Metal1-20.965
4Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders1-20.964
5Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders1-20.964
6Woodworking Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Except Sawing1-20.958
7Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand1-20.956
8Printing Press Operators1-20.955
9Furniture Finishers1-20.954
10Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic1-20.954

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticSpeaking0.880.966
Printing Press OperatorsSpeaking1.000.955
Tank Car, Truck, and Ship LoadersSpeaking0.880.947
Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticOperation and Control0.880.946
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticOperation and Control0.880.945
UpholsterersSpeaking0.880.942
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass FibersSpeaking0.880.942
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and TendersSpeaking0.880.938
Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground MiningSpeaking0.880.937
Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and TendersSpeaking0.880.935

All 15

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, excluding software Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Computerized numerical control CNC software3 of 2023.1x
SAP software9 of 201.5x
Autodesk AutoCAD4 of 201.1x
Microsoft Windows5 of 201.0x
Adobe Acrobat3 of 200.8x
Email software5 of 200.8x
Web browser software4 of 200.4x
Microsoft PowerPoint7 of 200.5x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 3.62 3.50
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.38
MonitoringEssential skill 3.12 3.00
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 3.12 3.00
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 3.00 2.88
RepairingTransferable skill 3.00 2.75
CoordinationTransferable skill 2.88 2.75
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.88 2.75
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 2.88 2.62
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.88 2.62
Time ManagementTransferable skill 2.88 2.38
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 2.75 2.88
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 2.75 2.38
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 2.62 2.62
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 2.62 2.38
Active ListeningEssential skill 2.62 2.25
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 2.62 2.25
SpeakingEssential skill 2.62 2.00
Active LearningEssential skill 2.50 2.25
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 2.25 2.00
WritingEssential skill 2.25 2.00
InstructingTransferable skill 2.12 2.00
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.12 2.00
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 2.12 2.00
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 2.00 2.00
MathematicsEssential skill 2.00 1.88
NegotiationTransferable skill 1.88 1.75
PersuasionTransferable skill 1.88 1.75
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 1.88 1.00
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 1.62 0.62
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 1.50 0.62
Technology DesignTransferable skill 1.38 0.50
ProgrammingTransferable skill 1.38 0.38
InstallationTransferable skill 1.12not rated
ScienceEssential skill 1.12not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Mechanical 2.99 3.20
English Language 2.63 1.74
Production and Processing 2.58 1.90
Education and Training 2.23 1.78
Chemistry 2.07 2.13
Public Safety and Security 2.04 1.66
Customer and Personal Service 2.04 1.24
Computers and Electronics 1.94 1.66
Engineering and Technology 1.89 1.41
Administration and Management 1.86 1.29
Administrative 1.61not rated
Mathematics 1.59not rated
Transportation 1.45not rated
Design 1.43 0.83
Physics 1.39not rated
Telecommunications 1.37not rated
Communications and Media 1.36not rated
Psychology 1.35not rated
Law and Government 1.34not rated
Personnel and Human Resources 1.29not rated
Building and Construction 1.24not rated
Foreign Language 1.17not rated
Sales and Marketing 1.17not rated
Economics and Accounting 1.16not rated
Sociology and Anthropology 1.14not rated
Geography 1.10not rated
Philosophy and Theology 1.09not rated
Therapy and Counseling 1.05not rated
Fine Arts 1.04not rated
History and Archeology 1.04not rated
Medicine and Dentistry 1.04not rated
Biology 1.03not rated
Food Production 1.02not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Near Vision 3.88 3.38
Visual Color Discrimination 3.75 3.88
Control Precision 3.75 3.62
Arm-Hand Steadiness 3.75 3.12
Manual Dexterity 3.62 3.12
Far Vision 3.25 3.25
Finger Dexterity 3.25 3.12
Flexibility of Closure 3.12 3.12
Perceptual Speed 3.12 3.12
Trunk Strength 3.12 3.12
Visualization 3.12 3.12
Dynamic Strength 3.00 3.12
Extent Flexibility 3.00 3.12
Multilimb Coordination 3.00 3.12
Information Ordering 3.00 3.00
Oral Comprehension 3.00 3.00
Selective Attention 3.00 3.00
Deductive Reasoning 3.00 2.75
Problem Sensitivity 3.00 2.75
Auditory Attention 2.88 3.12
Category Flexibility 2.88 2.88
Oral Expression 2.88 2.88
Rate Control 2.88 2.88
Reaction Time 2.88 2.88
Stamina 2.88 2.88
Inductive Reasoning 2.88 2.75
Written Comprehension 2.75 2.88
Response Orientation 2.75 2.62
Depth Perception 2.62 2.88
Static Strength 2.62 2.88
Hearing Sensitivity 2.62 2.62
Speech Recognition 2.62 2.62
Speech Clarity 2.62 2.38
Written Expression 2.62 2.25
Gross Body Coordination 2.50 2.50
Wrist-Finger Speed 2.50 2.00
Speed of Closure 2.38 2.25
Gross Body Equilibrium 2.25 2.00
Fluency of Ideas 2.12 2.12
Peripheral Vision 2.12 1.88
Spatial Orientation 2.12 1.88
Time Sharing 2.00 2.38
Memorization 2.00 2.00
Number Facility 2.00 2.00
Originality 2.00 2.00
Mathematical Reasoning 2.00 1.88
Speed of Limb Movement 1.88 1.50
Glare Sensitivity 1.75 1.50
Sound Localization 1.75 1.38
Night Vision 1.62 0.88
Explosive Strength 1.62 0.75
Dynamic Flexibility 1.50 0.50

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Elkhart-Goshen, IN1,40010.72$47,320
Oshkosh-Neenah, WI5806.07$56,960
Wausau, WI3605.09$47,370
Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI3104.87$59,430
Anniston-Oxford, AL2104.77$50,410
Columbus, IN2304.62$39,300
Gulfport-Biloxi, MS7004.32$63,180
Wichita, KS1,3204.19$58,770
Gadsden, AL1404.14$37,360
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA3003.92$51,800

More metros, other thresholds