National
| Median wages (2008) |
$13.66 hourly, $28,400 annual |
| Employment (2006) |
106,000 employees |
| Projected growth (2006-2016) |
Decline rapidly (-10% or lower)
|
| Projected need (2006-2016) |
21,000 additional employees |
51-9121.00 - Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Set up, operate, or tend machines to coat or paint any of a wide variety of products including food, glassware, cloth, ceramics, metal, plastic, paper, or wood, with lacquer, silver, copper, rubber, varnish, glaze, enamel, oil, or rust-proofing materials.
Sample of reported job titles:
Coater Operator, Painter, Hand Sprayer, Industrial Painter, Machine Operator, Powder Coater, Spray Painter, Press Operator, Silk Screen Operator, Coater Adjuster
Tasks
- Observe machine gauges and equipment operation to detect defects or deviations from standards, and make adjustments as necessary.
- Determine paint flow, viscosity, and coating quality by performing visual inspections, or by using viscometers.
- Weigh or measure chemicals, coatings, or paints before adding them to machines.
- Select appropriate coatings, paints, or sprays, or prepare them by mixing substances according to formulas, using automated paint mixing equipment.
- Set up and operate machines to paint or coat products with such materials as silver and copper solution, rubber, paint, glaze, oil, or rustproofing materials.
- 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.
- Start and stop operation of machines, using levers or buttons.
- Record operational data on specified forms.
- Start pumps to mix solutions and fill tanks.
- Operate auxiliary machines or equipment used in coating or painting processes.
| 51-2021.00 |
Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers |
| 51-4033.00 |
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic |
| 51-4072.00 |
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic |
| 51-4122.00 |
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
|
| 51-4193.00 |
Plating and Coating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic |
| 51-5011.00 |
Bindery Workers |
| 51-5023.00 |
Printing Machine Operators |
| 51-6091.00 |
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers |
| 51-9012.00 |
Separating, Filtering, Clarifying, Precipitating, and Still Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders 
|
| 51-9132.00 |
Photographic Processing Machine Operators |
