Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Human Advantage61%
Significant human skills needed
AI Automation RiskModerate Risk
3.9 / 10
Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.
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.
Also Known As: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) +164 more
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.
Attach hoses or nozzles to machines, using wrenches and pliers, and make adjustments to obtain the proper dispersion of spray.
Turn dials, handwheels, valves, or switches to regulate conveyor speeds, machine temperature, air pressure and circulation, and the flow or spray of coatings or paints.
Observe machine gauges and equipment operation to detect defects or deviations from standards, and make adjustments as necessary.
Examine, measure, weigh, or test sample products to ensure conformance to specifications.
Buff and wax the finished paintwork.
Use brush to hand-paint areas in need of retouching or unreachable with a spray gun.
Supplemental Tasks (7)
Thread or feed items or products through or around machine rollers and dryers.
Weigh or measure chemicals, coatings, or paints before adding them to machines.
Operate auxiliary machines or equipment used in coating or painting processes.
Remove materials, parts, or workpieces from painting or coating machines, using hand tools.
Record operational data on specified forms.
Operate lifting or moving devices to move equipment or materials to access areas to be painted.
Set up portable equipment, such as ventilators, exhaust units, ladders, or scaffolding.
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Experience: Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
63%
Less than a High School Diploma
27%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
7%
Some College Courses
4%
Technology & Tools
★ Hot Technologies
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Word
Software (11)
Inventory control software
Inventory management systems
Maintenance management software
Materials requirement planning MRP software
Robotic painting software
Scheduling software
Time recording software
Tools & Equipment (69)
Abrasive disc wheels
Adjustable hand wrenches
Adjustable wrench sets
Air compressors
Air-assisted spraying systems
Airless gravity pumps
Automated paint mixing equipment
Blow torches
Claw hammers
Compressed air systems
Computer terminals
Desktop computers
Electric hoists
Electrically operated airless pumps
Electrostatic paint systems
Exhaust units
Forklifts
Gas torches
Handcarts
High volume low pressure HVLP spray guns
Hoisting equipment
Hot air guns
Hydraulic jacks
Infrared drying lamps
Low volume high pressure LVHP sprayers
Manlift buckets
Metal inert gas MIG welding equipment
Oxyacetylene welding equipment
Paint application brushes
Paint application rollers
Paint booths
Paint spray guns
Paint sprayguns
Paint stencils
Paint viscometers
Pallet jacks
Personal computers
Plasma cutters
Portable buffers
Power buffers
Power drills
Power paint mixers
Power sanders
Product coating machines
Protective respirators
Respiratory protection equipment
Rivet guns
Robotic paint equipment
Rotary atomizers
Safety glasses
Safety gloves
Safety goggles
Sand blasters
Sandblasters
Scaffolding
Shielded arc welding tools
Slip joint pliers
Specialized paint brushes
Steam cleaners
Step ladders
Straight screwdrivers
Thermal spray systems
Trucklifts
Tungsten inert gas TIG welding equipment
Viscosity meters
Wheeled forklifts
Wire brushes
Wire cleaning brushes
Workshop cranes
Where This Career Leads
Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.
Maintenance & Repair Advanced Manufacturing
Zone 2
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersYou are here