Coating machine operator
Also known as: coating machine operative, coating machine technician, coater, coater operator, coating and embossing operator, coating and baking operator
About this occupation
Coating machine operators set up and tend coating machines that coat metal products with a thin layer of covering of materials such as lacquer, enamel, copper, nickel, zinc, cadmium, chromium or other metal layering in order to protect or decorate the metal products' surfaces. They run all coating machine stations on multiple coaters.
Essential skills and knowledge
- coating machine parts
- wear appropriate protective gear
- industrial paint
- types of metal
- ensure equipment availability
- tend coating machine
- health and safety in the workplace
- coating substances
- remove inadequate workpieces
- quality standards
- supply machine
- monitor moving workpiece in a machine
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders (O*NET 51-9124.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- 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.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Realistic, Conventional, Artistic
Top skills: Operations Monitoring, Monitoring, Operation and Control, Quality Control Analysis, Equipment Maintenance, Repairing
US median pay: US$48,250 a year (2025), 158,740 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers
- Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
- Furniture Finishers
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
- Painters, Construction and Maintenance
- Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
- Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and Tenders
- Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.