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

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $43,960 Median per year · $21.14/hr Most earn $33,790–$60,370

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Measure and set stops, rolls, brushes, and guides on automatic feeders and conveying equipment or coating machines, using micrometers, rules, and hand tools.
  • Position containers to receive parts, and load or unload materials in containers, using dollies or handtrucks.
  • Position objects to be plated in frames, or suspend them from positive or negative terminals of power supplies.
  • Test machinery to ensure that it is operating properly.
  • Measure or weigh materials, using rulers, calculators, and scales.
  • Immerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating.

Job outlook

United States
10% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 2,500 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Coating, engraving, heat treating, and allied activities61.1%
  • Fabricated metal product manufacturing6.6%
  • Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing5.2%
  • Motor vehicle parts manufacturing2.7%
  • Self-employed (their own business)2.6%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. Most people need a high school diploma and no prior work experience, then learn the work on the job.

  1. High school diploma

    About 4 years

    Finish high school with strong math, science, and shop or technical classes, since plating involves chemistry, measurements, and reading machine settings.

  2. Plating Machine Operator (entry-level on-the-job training)

    Up to 1 year

    Start as a machine tender or helper and learn to load parts, watch baths and machine settings, and follow safety rules for handling chemicals.

  3. Plating Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic

    Ongoing

    Once you can run the line on your own, you are doing this career: setting up machines and coating metal or plastic parts.

Where it can lead

  1. Lead Plating Operator

    2-4 years of experience first

    You train newer workers, check quality on each batch, and help keep the line running smoothly, which builds the skills needed for leadership.

  2. Production Supervisor

    3-5 years of experience first

    You oversee a shift or team, schedule work, and handle problems across the line; this usually takes strong safety records and people skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take chemistry and mathBasic chemistry helps you understand the solutions and reactions used in plating, and math helps with measuring and mixing.
  • Take shop or manufacturing classesHands-on experience with machines and tools prepares you for working around production equipment.
  • Get a summer or part-time job at a factory or warehouseAny job where you follow safety rules and work on a team shows employers you can handle a production setting.
  • Join a career or technical student organizationGroups such as SkillsUSA offer activities that build teamwork and hands-on skills, if your school has one.
  • Learn basic workplace safetyUnderstanding how to handle chemicals and protective gear is important in plating, and it helps you stand out.

In college

  • Take chemistry or materials science coursesKnowing how metals and chemical baths interact is central to plating work and to moving into quality or process roles.
  • Look for part-time work in manufacturing or a production plantExperience on a production floor helps you learn machine routines and safety habits that employers value.
  • Consider a community college or technical program in manufacturing or industrial technologyMany schools offer short technical courses that build hands-on skills useful for machine operation.
  • Earn a safety or hazardous materials certificate if availableCertifications in chemical handling or workplace safety show employers you take the risks seriously.
  • Ask about internships at local plating or metal finishing shopsAn internship gives you a look at the job and a chance to make contacts before you apply for full-time work.

Tips for getting started

  • Take chemistry and shop classes if your school offers them, since understanding how coatings bond to metal helps you learn faster on the job.
  • Ask a local manufacturer or plating shop whether they hire students for part-time or summer helper jobs, and show you are reliable and careful with safety rules.
  • Check the career page for typical pay near you and nationally, so you can compare it with other options you are considering.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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