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Skilled Trades

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.

Median salary (BLS)

$48,250

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$36k – $75k

Job outlook

+1% (about average)

AI exposure

Plan a path to Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Entry / Junior

    $36,260

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Established

    $48,250

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

    Senior

    $61,490

Key skills

A typical 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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.