Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders in the U.S. is $48,250 ($23.20 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $48,250
- Mean annual wage
- $52,620
- Median hourly wage
- $23.20
- Employment
- 158,740
158,740 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36,260 | $17.43 |
| 25th percentile | $40,590 | $19.52 |
| Median (50th) | $48,250 | $23.20 |
| 75th percentile | $59,680 | $28.69 |
| 90th percentile | $74,730 | $35.93 |
Highest-paying states for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $69,910 | 140 |
| Washington | $59,980 | 3,980 |
| New Jersey | $58,240 | 2,890 |
| Maine | $56,200 | 680 |
| Maryland | $55,510 | 1,010 |
| Colorado | $53,590 | 1,470 |
| Mississippi | $53,170 | 2,010 |
| California | $52,950 | 11,570 |
| Connecticut | $52,900 | 1,550 |
| Minnesota | $52,210 | 3,430 |
Lowest-paying states
- West Virginia: $42,950 median annual wage
- Alabama: $44,250 median annual wage
- Michigan: $44,670 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $45,730 median annual wage
- Nevada: $45,750 median annual wage
About this occupation
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.
Typical tasks
- Examine, measure, weigh, or test sample products to ensure conformance to specifications.
- Disassemble, clean, and reassemble sprayers or power equipment, using solvents, wire brushes, and cloths.
- Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams.
- Operate auxiliary machines or equipment used in coating or painting processes.
- Start and stop operation of machines, using levers or buttons.
- Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 21.7% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 46.3% |
| Some college, no degree | 20.5% |
| Associate's degree | 6.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 4.6% |
| Master's degree | 0.7% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.