Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
Career Overview
Painters and coaters in this group:
- Tend and operate machines or use brushes and spray equipment to apply paint, enamel, lacquer or other non-metallic protective and decorative coatings to various products
- Work for manufacturing companies, specialized coating and plating shops and refinishing establishments
Metal finishing process operators:
- Operate machines or equipment to deposit metallized substances on workpieces and surfaces to provide decorative, protective and restorative coatings
- Work for manufacturing companies, specialized coating and plating shops and refinishing establishments
Job Titles
Duties
Industrial painters and coaters:
- Choose paint or mix paints using paint mixing equipment according to instructions
- Run equipment to clean, wash, strip, sand, remove rust, fill dents or otherwise prepare items for paint, lacquer or other protective or decorative coatings
- Tend or operate automated spray paint, dip or flow coating equipment or other painting or product coating equipment
- Operate hand-held spray guns to spray paint or coat still items or items on a moving conveyor system with protective or decorative coatings
- Paint small items and apply touch-ups using paint brushes
- Clean and maintain painting and coating, ventilation, compressed air and personal protective equipment
- Prepare and apply stencils, computer-generated decals or other decorative items on finished products
Metal finishing process operators:
- Prepare and mix metallizing solutions according to formulas or specifications
- Operate or tend equipment to clean, degrease, pickle and etch metal and non-metal surfaces to prepare workpieces with desired surface characteristics
- Tend automatic metal coating machines which convey objects through a series of cleaning, rinsing and plating solutions
- Operate and control electroplating equipment to coat metal and other workpieces
- Operate hot-dip metal plating equipment to galvanize metal and other workpieces
- Operate spray equipment to build up worn or damaged parts or to bond protective or decorative coatings on various objects
- Check proper thickness of plating using micrometers, calipers or other devices
- May operate equipment to polish metallic surfaces of products
- May tend ovens which cure metal coating
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
1,475% Employed Full Time
65%Key aspects of work in this occupation:
- Operators in this unit group usually work in a conventional controlled environment such as an office, hospital or school
- Work may involve chemicals that are harmful to skin or eyes, dangerous if inhaled or may cause a fire or explosion
- Work is done in the presence of strong odours
Career Pathways
Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- Secondary school education is usually required
- Some experience in operating production machinery or equipment may be required
- Several months of on-the-job training are usually provided
- Some industrial painters, such as aviation painters, may require specialized training and certification or college courses
Education programs in B.C.
Top Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Watching gauges, dials or other indicators to make sure that a machine is working properly.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
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.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
1,475Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 45 | 3.1% |
| Kootenay | 25 | 1.7% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,030 | 69.8% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 0 | 0.0% |
| Northeast | 20 | 1.4% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 195 | 13.2% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 170 | 11.5% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
610Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 10 | -1.0% |
| Kootenay | Not available | Not available |
| Mainland/Southwest | 470 | 1.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | Not available | Not available |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 80 | 1.2% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 50 | -0.3% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 370 |
| Construction | 100 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 50 |
| Wholesale Trade | 30 |
| Retail Trade | 20 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.