SalariesWhat the occupation covers
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. Excludes “Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic” (51-4193).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-9124.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $36,260 | $3,022 | $697 | $17.43 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $40,590 | $3,382 | $781 | $19.52 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $48,250 | $4,021 | $928 | $23.20 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $59,680 | $4,973 | $1,148 | $28.69 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $74,730 | $6,228 | $1,437 | $35.93 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is $48,250, which is 5% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 46 by median pay. With 158,740 jobs, it makes up about 10 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay by state
The highest median pay was in Alaska ($69,910), Washington ($59,980) and New Jersey ($58,240). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($29,850), West Virginia ($42,950) and Alabama ($44,250). The most jobs were in Texas (16,600), California (11,570) and Ohio (8,320). The occupation is most concentrated in South Dakota, where its share of all jobs is 2.5 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 140 | $69,910 | $64,740 | $33.61 |
| Washington | 3,980 | $59,980 | $68,990 | $28.84 |
| New Jersey | 2,890 | $58,240 | $59,640 | $28.00 |
| Maine | 680 | $56,200 | $61,350 | $27.02 |
| Maryland | 1,010 | $55,510 | $63,900 | $26.69 |
| Colorado | 1,470 | $53,590 | $66,000 | $25.76 |
| Mississippi | 2,010 | $53,170 | $54,580 | $25.56 |
| California | 11,570 | $52,950 | $58,030 | $25.46 |
| Connecticut | 1,550 | $52,900 | $57,650 | $25.43 |
| Minnesota | 3,430 | $52,210 | $55,840 | $25.10 |
| Hawaii | 230 | $51,990 | $54,860 | $24.99 |
| Massachusetts | 2,740 | $51,150 | $54,200 | $24.59 |
| North Dakota | 560 | $51,020 | $56,460 | $24.53 |
| Wyoming | 220 | $50,220 | $56,200 | $24.14 |
| Virginia | 4,130 | $49,880 | $54,720 | $23.98 |
| Rhode Island | 470 | $49,850 | $51,680 | $23.97 |
| Oregon | 2,470 | $49,400 | $56,290 | $23.75 |
| Vermont | 170 | $49,360 | $54,320 | $23.73 |
| Nebraska | 740 | $49,340 | $54,900 | $23.72 |
| Iowa | 3,220 | $49,330 | $51,360 | $23.72 |
| Wisconsin | 6,120 | $49,170 | $51,080 | $23.64 |
| Ohio | 8,320 | $48,550 | $51,180 | $23.34 |
| New Hampshire | 430 | $48,410 | $53,470 | $23.27 |
| Pennsylvania | 6,790 | $48,340 | $52,400 | $23.24 |
| South Carolina | 2,780 | $48,220 | $50,320 | $23.18 |
| Illinois | 6,390 | $48,000 | $52,330 | $23.08 |
| New York | 3,270 | $48,000 | $53,670 | $23.08 |
| South Dakota | 1,150 | $47,980 | $49,640 | $23.07 |
| Louisiana | 810 | $47,950 | $50,140 | $23.05 |
| Utah | 1,740 | $47,880 | $50,730 | $23.02 |
| Arizona | 2,440 | $47,860 | $53,580 | $23.01 |
| Florida | 6,200 | $47,860 | $51,360 | $23.01 |
| Missouri | 3,860 | $47,580 | $51,370 | $22.88 |
| Montana | 330 | $47,380 | $48,980 | $22.78 |
| Indiana | 8,030 | $47,320 | $51,210 | $22.75 |
| Tennessee | 3,880 | $47,210 | $49,840 | $22.70 |
| Kentucky | 2,190 | $47,170 | $47,600 | $22.68 |
| Kansas | 3,160 | $47,120 | $49,750 | $22.66 |
| Texas | 16,600 | $46,750 | $51,240 | $22.48 |
| North Carolina | 5,700 | $46,730 | $49,570 | $22.47 |
| Georgia | 5,900 | $46,450 | $50,940 | $22.33 |
| Arkansas | 1,870 | $46,380 | $47,720 | $22.30 |
| Delaware | 100 | $46,120 | $50,430 | $22.17 |
| Idaho | 760 | $45,810 | $48,620 | $22.03 |
| Oklahoma | 2,520 | $45,780 | $47,380 | $22.01 |
| Nevada | 640 | $45,750 | $51,330 | $21.99 |
| New Mexico | 400 | $45,730 | $49,360 | $21.99 |
| Michigan | 7,050 | $44,670 | $48,910 | $21.48 |
| Alabama | 5,250 | $44,250 | $45,660 | $21.27 |
| West Virginia | 370 | $42,950 | $46,220 | $20.65 |
| Puerto Rico | 150 | $29,850 | $30,610 | $14.35 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Prepress Technicians and Workers$48,690 a year
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570 a year
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,540 a year
- Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$48,220 a year
- Foundry Mold and Coremakers$48,110 a year
- Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders$48,040 a year
Common questions
How much do Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders earn in the United States?
The median pay was $48,250 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $36,260 and the highest-paid 10% more than $74,730.
How many people work as Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders?
About 158,740 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.