Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Production · SOC 51-9124
AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.
Decision card
Career Evidence Passport
SOC 51-9124 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.
- SOC exposure
- 0.0%
- Low · Anthropic AEI
- Automation friction
- 47/100
- Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
- Wages
- $48,250
- No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
- Projected openings
- —
- BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +0.7%.
- Observed/proxy demand
- 0
- FY2025 certified LCAs; 3,098 postings in 2025.
Skill evidence
Transition context
- H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
- Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
- Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
- This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.
AI Exposure Analysis
Across AI measures
Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.
Top Skills
H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand
View full H-1B trends →Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.
O*NET occupation profile
What this work involves
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.
Common titles: Automotive Painter (Auto Painter), Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech), Coater Operator, Hand Sprayer, Industrial Painter, Paint Technician (Paint Tech)
Representative Tasks
- •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.
Detailed Work Activities
- •Dispose of trash or waste materials.
- •Mount attachments or tools onto production equipment.
- •Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
- •Operate painting or coating equipment.
- •Clean production equipment.
Tools & Technologies
Employment Projections & AI Exposure
Employment & Wage Trend
BLS OEWS, 2019–2025
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.
Sector Comparison
| Metric | This Career | Sector Average |
|---|---|---|
| AI Exposure | 0.0% | 0.7% |
| Outlook | Average | 4% Bright |
| Median Salary | $48,250 | N/A |
| AI Resiliency | 100/100 | N/A |