Occupations · Production
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Set up, operate, or tend plating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. Typically, the product being coated is immersed in molten metal or an electrolytic solution.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 51-4193.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 62% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $46,390 | 3,050 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $37,000 | 1,870 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $47,730 | 1,560 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $35,380 | 940 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $43,800 | 710 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | $35,760 | 690 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $50,440 | 580 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $46,240 | 570 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $36,180 | 550 |
| Cleveland, OH | $40,350 | 550 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | $40,550 | 520 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $42,590 | 490 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
- Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
- Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
- Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
- Maintain production records.
- Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
- Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
- Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
- Determine sizes and compositions of objects to be plated, and amounts of electrical current and time required.
- Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.
- Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.
- Measure, mark, and mask areas to be excluded from plating.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2016-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2016-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 1
No longer listed 1
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| lacquer spray gun operator | 7132.1 | close |
| metal polisher | 7224.1 | close |
| rustproofer | 8122.10 | close |
| surface treatment operator | 7132.2 | close |
| electroplating machine operator | 8122.7 | broader |
| anodising machine operator | 8122.2 | broader |
| enameller | 8122.8 | broader |
| coating machine operator | 8122.3 | broader |
| dip tank operator | 8122.6 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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