Careers / Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$43,960
United States, 2025
Employment
32,410
United States, 2025
Typical education
Less than a High School Diploma
Job Zone 2
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
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 code
- 51-4193.00
- Job zone
- 2
- Experience required
- None
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
- Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
- Maintain production records.
- Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$33,790
25th percentile
$37,260
75th percentile
$49,600
90th percentile
$60,370
Most important skills
- Operations Monitoring3.3
- Operation and Control3.1
- Active Listening3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.1
- Coordination3.0
- Speaking3.0
- Time Management3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Quality Control Analysis3.0
- Judgment and Decision Making2.9
- Writing2.8
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 10 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
10
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Monitoring | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Operation and Control | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 2.8 | Not selected | 2.8 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 2.6 | Not selected | 2.6 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| IA | $70,910 | 440 | 2025 |
| Ogden, UT | $70,490 | 60 | 2025 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $65,040 | 90 | 2025 |
| Omaha, NE | $61,880 | 40 | 2025 |
| Oshkosh, WI | $59,720 | 50 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $58,400 | 210 | 2025 |
| WA | $58,000 | 410 | 2025 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $56,350 | 40 | 2025 |
| Reading, PA | $55,230 | 100 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $53,680 | 460 | 2025 |
| MS | $52,090 | 60 | 2025 |
| AR | $51,140 | 230 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $50,870 | 600 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $50,520 | 70 | 2025 |
| Lancaster, PA | $50,080 | 80 | 2025 |
| OK | $49,330 | 180 | 2025 |
| New Haven, CT | $49,100 | 50 | 2025 |
| South Bend, IN | $48,810 | 50 | 2025 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $48,690 | 340 | 2025 |
| Columbus, OH | $48,610 | 90 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.