SOC 51-4193.00

    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.

    Median pay
    $43,960
    Growth
    -9.7%
    Decline
    Openings a year
    2,500
    Typical education
    High school diploma

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Source: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections

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    Annual pay range

    Lowest 10% earn less than
    $33,790
    Median
    $43,960
    Highest 10% earn more than
    $60,370
    National wages for all workers in this occupation. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.

    32,410 people work in this occupation.

    What plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do

    Job Zone 2: Some preparation

    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.

    Usually a high school diploma; some on-the-job training or experience.

    Interest profile

    Realistic (R) · strongest
    100 / 100
    Investigative (I)
    21 / 100
    Artistic (A)
    7 / 100
    Social (S)
    0 / 100
    Enterprising (E)
    0 / 100
    Conventional (C)
    52 / 100
    How strongly each interest area describes the work, from O*NET (scores rescaled to 0–100). The interest code lists the strongest areas in order.

    Interest code RCI. Compare it with yours

    What you'd do

    Handling and Moving Objects
    83
    Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    80
    Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
    78
    Making Decisions and Solving Problems
    77
    Controlling Machines and Processes
    76
    Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
    76
    Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
    74
    Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People
    71
    Getting Information
    69
    Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
    67
    Work activities rated by importance for this occupation, O*NET (0–100).

    Skills and strengths

    Skills

    • Operations Monitoring
    • Active Listening
    • Monitoring
    • Operation and Control
    • Reading Comprehension
    • Coordination
    • Critical Thinking
    • Quality Control Analysis
    • Speaking
    • Time Management

    Knowledge

    • Production and Processing
    • Mathematics
    • Chemistry
    • English Language
    • Mechanical
    • Engineering and Technology
    • Education and Training
    • Law and Government
    • Customer and Personal Service
    • Design

    Abilities

    • Control Precision
    • Near Vision
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
    • Manual Dexterity
    • Oral Comprehension
    • Problem Sensitivity
    • Multilimb Coordination
    • Oral Expression
    • Speech Clarity
    • Category Flexibility

    Work styles

    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability
    • Cautiousness
    • Stress Tolerance
    • Integrity
    • Perseverance
    • Achievement Orientation
    • Self-Control
    • Self-Confidence
    • Adaptability

    Also called

    Alodize Machine Operator · Anode Machine Operator · Anodic Operator · Anodic Treater · Anodize Machine Operator · Anodizer · Anodizing Line Operator · Anodizing Operator · Anodizing Technician · Automatic Metal Spraying Machine Operator

    CareerOneStop

    Certifications, licenses and pay by state

    What plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic may need beyond a degree, where a license is required, and what the work pays in each state.

    Certifications

    Core certifications employers recognise for this work.

    Search all certifications on CareerOneStop

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

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    Related careers

    Careers with similar work, interests or skills.

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    Sources and attribution

    Every figure on this page comes from these public datasets. Missing values are shown as not reported, never estimated.

    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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.

    Data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor (Employment and Training Administration, with the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development). Retrieved November 9, 2026.

    Page data updated November 5, 2026.