Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary
Production Occupations · 159K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$48,250
Median hourly
$23
Average annual
$52,620
Typical range
$36,260–$74,730
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $48,250 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $23 an hour at a full-time schedule.
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..
Most earn between $36,260 and $74,730 a year. There are roughly 159K people employed as coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.
- Hourly
- $23.20
- Daily
- $186
- Weekly
- $928
- Bi-weekly
- $1,856
- Monthly
- $4,021
- Annual
- $48,250
$48,250 a year is around the 50th percentile for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss. The median is $48,250.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1Alaska$69,910
- 2Washington$59,980
- 3New Jersey$58,240
- 4Maine$56,200
- 5Maryland$55,510
- 6Colorado$53,590
- 7Mississippi$53,170
- 8California$52,950
- 9Connecticut$52,900
- 10Minnesota$52,210
- 11Hawaii$51,990
- 12Massachusetts$51,150
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT$69,600
- 2Ames, IA$69,090
- 3Springfield, OH$67,070
- 4Lexington Park, MD$66,570
- 5Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$63,360
- 6Gulfport-Biloxi, MS$63,180
- 7Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$63,030
- 8Charleston-North Charleston, SC$62,280
- 9Fayetteville, NC$62,120
- 10Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL$61,730
- 11Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA$61,260
- 12Grand Forks, ND-MN$61,220
Related job titles
Employers advertise Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders roles under these titles.
- Abrasive Coating Machine Operator
- Abrasive Coating Machine Setup Operator
- Air Drier
- Air Drier Machine Operator
- Aircraft Painter
- Auto Body Painter (Automotive Body Painter)
- Auto Painter (Automobile Painter)
- Auto Refinisher (Automobile Refinisher)
- Auto Striper (Automotive Striper)
- Automatic Paint Sprayer Operator
- Automobile Body Painter
- Automotive Paint Prepper (Auto Paint Prepper)
- Automotive Paint Technician (Auto Paint Tech)
- Automotive Painter (Auto Painter)
- Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech)
- Automotive Spray Painter (Auto Spray Painter)
Related occupations
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600
- Furniture Finishers$44,540
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$43,960
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$46,170
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance$49,400
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders$46,460
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators$46,880
What a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders does
- Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.
- Use brush to hand-paint areas in need of retouching or unreachable with a spray gun.
- 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.
- Clean equipment and work areas.
- Buff and wax the finished paintwork.
- Spray prepared surfaces with specified amounts of primers and decorative or finish coatings.
- Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders make?
- The median annual wage for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $48,250 ($23 per hour). Pay ranges from about $36,260 at the 10th percentile to $74,730 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $52,620, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenderss the most?
- Alaska has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $69,910.
- Is Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 159K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders do?
- Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.; Use brush to hand-paint areas in need of retouching or unreachable with a spray gun.; Monitor painting operations to identify flaws, such as blisters or streaks, and correct their causes..