Production
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Also called: Automotive Painter (Auto Painter), Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech), Coater Operator, Hand Sprayer
US median pay
$48,250
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+2.5%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
15,300
164,800 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
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.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams.
- Start and stop operation of machines, using levers or buttons.
- Determine paint flow, viscosity, and coating quality by performing visual inspections, or by using viscometers.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Operations Monitoring3.6/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.1/5
- Operation and Control3.1/5
- Repairing3.0/5
- Equipment Maintenance3.0/5
- Troubleshooting2.9/5
- Time Management2.9/5
- Equipment Selection2.9/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical3.0/5
- English Language2.6/5
- Production and Processing2.6/5
- Education and Training2.2/5
- Chemistry2.1/5
- Public Safety and Security2.0/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma63%
- Less than high school27%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.