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Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

ManufacturingO*NET 51-4193.00United States

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.

COMING SOON See related ASU learning
Median annual earnings
$43,821

50th percentile, United States

Projected change
−10.8%

2025 to 2035

Typical education
High school diploma or less

95.9% of the workforce

Employment
33.32K jobs

Growing to 29.73K by 2035

Explore this career by location

Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.

Showing United States

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Build the skills

ASU learning related to this career

These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.

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The work

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

Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.

  • 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.
  • Examine completed objects to determine thicknesses of metal deposits, or measure thicknesses by using instruments such as micrometers.
  • Rinse coated objects in cleansing liquids and dry them with cloths, centrifugal driers, or by tumbling in sawdust-filled barrels.

Pay and outlook

What the job pays and where it is heading

Annual earnings range

Reported earnings by percentile, United States

10th percentile
$33,554
25th percentile
$37,048
50th percentile
$43,821
75th percentile
$49,540
90th percentile
$60,502

The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $43,821 and half earn less.

Employment outlook

2025 to 2035 projection

−10.8%projected to decline
202533,322 jobs
2035 projected29,726 jobs

3,596 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.

Preparation

Education levels

What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.

High school diploma or less
95.9%
Bachelor's degree
3.4%
Some college
0.6%

Skills

Skills employers ask for

Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.

  • Lifting Ability
  • Electroplating
  • General Mathematics
  • Loading And Unloading
  • Chemistry
  • Hoisting
  • Micrometer
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Manual Dexterity
  • Continuous Improvement Process
  • Safety Procedures
  • Machinery
  • Hand Tools
  • Forklift Truck
  • Housekeeping
  • Metal Coating
  • Abrasive Blasting
  • Export Administration Regulations
  • Packaging And Labeling
  • Process Improvement

How the work gets done

Core competencies

Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.

Operations Monitoring
Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Operation and Control
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Time Management
Managing one's own time and the time of others.
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Coordination
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Judgment and Decision Making
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Social Perceptiveness
Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Equipment Maintenance
Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
Troubleshooting
Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Persuasion
Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Negotiation
Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
Instructing
Teaching others how to do something.
Service Orientation
Actively looking for ways to help people.

In the market

Job titles and employers

Recent job postings in United States

Common job titles

  1. 01Plating Technicians158 postings
  2. 02Plating Operators154 postings
  3. 03Platers119 postings
  4. 04Operators79 postings
  5. 05Electroplaters58 postings
  6. 06Line Cooks/Dressing Table38 postings
  7. 07Heat Treat Operators37 postings
  8. 08Rackers36 postings
  9. 09Powder Coaters33 postings
  10. 10Coating Operators30 postings
  11. 11Taskers27 postings
  12. 12Process Operators25 postings
  13. 13Radiology Physicians22 postings
  14. 14Aerospace Consultants19 postings
  15. 15Aerospace Painters17 postings
  16. 16Coating Technicians17 postings
  17. 17Technicians17 postings
  18. 18Aerospace Engineers16 postings
  19. 19Non-Destructive Testing Inspectors15 postings
  20. 20Process Engineers14 postings

Top employers

  1. 01Aerotek72 postings
  2. 02Valence Surface Technologies36 postings
  3. 03Hytek Finishes Co.32 postings
  4. 04Precision Castparts32 postings
  5. 05Aya Healthcare27 postings
  6. 06Kelly Services23 postings
  7. 07Metaltek International21 postings
  8. 08TTM Technologies21 postings
  9. 09Textron20 postings
  10. 10Adecco18 postings
  11. 11Nesco Resource18 postings
  12. 12Sanmina18 postings
  13. 13Vishay Intertechnology18 postings
  14. 14All Metals Processing Of Orange County14 postings
  15. 15Eaton Corporation13 postings
  16. 16ManpowerGroup13 postings
  17. 17Howmet Aerospace12 postings
  18. 18Insight Global12 postings
  19. 19RTX12 postings
  20. 20Spherion Staffing12 postings

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