Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Operators
On the Job
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Operators set up, operate, or tend machines that coat or paint a variety of products. Products include things like glassware, cloth, metal, plastic, paper, or wood.
Physical Demands 
This career requires good eyesight and time standing, walking, or running.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Conduct test runs of production equipment.
- Inspect finishes of workpieces or finished products.
- Test chemical or physical characteristics of materials or products.
- Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
- Adjust temperature controls of ovens or other heating equipment.
- Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products.
- Attach decorative or functional accessories to products.
- Connect supply lines to production equipment or tools.
- Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
Typical Working Conditions
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- Exposure to sounds or noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable.
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Frequent decision-making.
- Working with a group or team.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Exposure to hazardous conditions.
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Responsibility for others' health and safety.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 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.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.
