Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-9124

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Median pay sits 35% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Chemical Plant and System Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($79K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-9124 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Dispose of hazardous waste in an appropriate manner
  2. 2. Hold or position spray guns to direct spray onto articles
  3. 3. Spray prepared surfaces with specified amounts of primers and decorative or finish coatings
  4. 4. Monitor painting operations to identify flaws, such as blisters or streaks, and correct their causes
  5. 5. Disassemble, clean, and reassemble sprayers or power equipment, using solvents, wire brushes, and cloths
  6. 6. Fill hoppers, reservoirs, troughs, or pans with material used to coat, paint, or spray, using conveyors or pails
  7. 7. Clean equipment and work areas
  8. 8. Thread or feed items or products through or around machine rollers and dryers
  9. 9. Weigh or measure chemicals, coatings, or paints before adding them to machines
  10. 10. Apply rust-resistant undercoats and caulk and seal seams
  11. 11. Start and stop operation of machines, using levers or buttons
  12. 12. Operate auxiliary machines or equipment used in coating or painting processes

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-9124 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.6 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  2. 2. Monitoring 3.1
  3. 3. Operation and Control 3.1
  4. 4. Quality Control Analysis 3.1
  5. 5. Equipment Maintenance 3.0
  6. 6. Repairing 3.0
  7. 7. Coordination 2.9
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 3.0
  2. 2. English Language 2.6
  3. 3. Production and Processing 2.6
  4. 4. Education and Training 2.2
  5. 5. Chemistry 2.1
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 2.0
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-35%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $48,250/yr
$48K
National median
↑ +1%
Growth 2024-2034
15,800
Annual openings
158,740
Estimated US jobs
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators
Highest-pay peer · $79K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

1. Colorado $53,590
2. Connecticut $52,900
3. Minnesota $52,210
4. New Jersey $58,240
5. Maryland $55,510
6. Washington $59,980
7. California $52,950
8. Mississippi $53,170
9. Maine $56,200
10. Alaska $69,910

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  2. 2. Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators $78,620
  3. 3. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  4. 4. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470
  5. 5. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  6. 6. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits 35% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $48,250.

Employment Projections expect +1% change between 2024 and 2034 (slower than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 15,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Colorado at $53,590. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators at $78,620. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders pay-rank #46 in Production Occupations

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders sits at pay-rank #46 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 51-9124 · national median $48,250 · middle third of Production Occupations (#46/105). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-9124

Colorado · top state for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

$54K published median

Connecticut · #2 state pay

$53K · behind Colorado

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · $79K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · $62K

Compare Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders

Against another occupation

Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #46 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers ($48K), Foundry Mold and Coremakers ($48K), Furnace, Kiln, Oven, Drier, and Kettle Operators and Tenders ($48K), Medical Appliance Technicians ($48K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. Leading ones include: 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. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders? ▼
For SOC 51-9124, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.6), Monitoring (3.1), Operation and Control (3.1), Quality Control Analysis (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, English Language, Production and Processing. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $48,250 as the national median for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. The published 10th-90th range is $36,260 to $74,730. Beside Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators ($78,620), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders is +1%. Projected annual openings: about 15,800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: slower than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders? ▼
Colorado ($53,590), Connecticut ($52,900), Minnesota ($52,210) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-9124. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics