Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing operators

About this job

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

Common job titles

anodizer
applier, decal / print
burnisher-finisher, firearm

coater, painter, pipe / spray painter
crester
electrogalvanizer / electroformer
inspector, metal electroplating
operator, coating machine
operator, dip tank / coating tank
operator, enameller / enamel baker
operator, galvanizer
operator, hardboard spray-coating
operator, metal finishing
operator, metallizer / vacuum-metallizer

operator, painting machine
operator, pencil-coating / tip-banding
operator, spray paint

operator, spraying
operator, wire-paint-coating
painter, industrial
painter, railway car letterer
plater, bronze / chromium / copper / tin
plater, electroless / electroplater
preparer-prefinisher - product surface
repairer, finished vehicle paint
rustproofer, motor vehicle - spray / coater
sander-glazier, block
temperer - plating and metal spraying

anodizer
applier, decal / print
burnisher-finisher, firearm
coater, painter, pipe / spray painter
crester
electrogalvanizer / electroformer

inspector, metal electroplating
operator, coating machine
operator, dip tank / coating tank
operator, enameller / enamel baker
operator, galvanizer
operator, hardboard spray-coating
operator, metal finishing
operator, metallizer / vacuum-metallizer
operator, painting machine
operator, pencil-coating / tip-banding
operator, spray paint
operator, spraying
operator, wire-paint-coating
painter, industrial
painter, railway car letterer
plater, bronze / chromium / copper / tin
plater, electroless / electroplater
preparer-prefinisher - product surface
repairer, finished vehicle paint
rustproofer, motor vehicle - spray / coater
sander-glazier, block
temperer - plating and metal spraying

Earnings

Annual provincial median salary

$51,848

Source: 2016 Job Bank Wage data

Note:Estimated median employment income based on 2016 Job Bank median hourly wage rate (median annual salary = hourly wage rate x 40 (hours per week) x 52.14 (weeks per year))

Provincial hourly rate

High
Median
Low

Source: 2016 Job Bank Wage Report

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2017-2027)

Provincial outlook

Forecasted average employment growth rate

2017 - 2022
2022 - 2027

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Job openings

10 year expected job openings: 510

2017
2022
2027

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Composition of job openings

New jobs due to economic growth:
19.6%
100 openings

Replacement of retiring workers:
80.4%
410 openings

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

Regional outlook

Cariboo

Employment in 2017:

N/A

Average annual employment growth:

N/A

Expected number of job openings:

N/A

Kootenay

Employment in 2017:

N/A

Average annual employment growth:

N/A

Expected number of job openings:

N/A

Mainland / Southwest

Employment in 2017:

1,290

Average annual employment growth:

0.4%

Expected number of job openings:

370

North Coast & Nechako

Employment in 2017:

N/A

Average annual employment growth:

N/A

Expected number of job openings:

N/A

Northeast

Employment in 2017:

N/A

Average annual employment growth:

N/A

Expected number of job openings:

N/A

Thompson-Okanagan

Employment in 2017:

90

Average annual employment growth:

1.9%

Expected number of job openings:

40

Vancouver Island / Coast

Employment in 2017:

270

Average annual employment growth:

1.3%

Expected number of job openings:

100

N/A - Data not available

Source: B.C. Labour Market Outlook

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.

Work environment

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.

Workforce and employment statistics

Workforce characteristics

1,300 workers are employed

52% of workers are working mostly full time

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Employment by gender

Men

Women

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Employment by age group

15 - 24 years

25 - 44 years

45 - 64 years

65+ years

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Labour force by industry

Manufacturing:

62%

Transportation and Warehousing:

13%

Construction:

9%

Wholesale Trade¹:

6%

Retail Trade¹:

6%

View more industry data

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Note:¹Data represents Wholesale and Retail Trade and will be updated when the 2017 data is available from Statistics Canada.

Employment by region

% employment of this occupation

% employment of all occupations

Cariboo

Kootenay

Mainland / Southwest

North Coast & Nechako

Northeast

Thompson-Okanagan

Vancouver Island / Coast

Source: 2011 National Household Survey

Job requirements

Education, training & qualifications

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.

Skills

Manual Dexterity
Detail-Oriented
Methodical
Object-Oriented
Finger Dexterity

View skills definitions

Education programs in B.C.

The following program areas are related to this occupation:

Academic/Basic Upgrading

For more information about programs offered specifically for this career, visit EducationPlannerBC.

Related careers

Career paths and resources

Career paths

Progression to supervisory positions is possible with experience.

Additional resources

Additional resources are not currently available for this career.

Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators (NOC 9536)

About this job

Earnings

Annual provincial median salary

Provincial hourly rate

B.C. Labour Market Outlook (2017-2027)

Provincial outlook

Forecasted average employment growth rate

Job openings

Composition of job openings

Regional outlook

Duties

Work environment

Workforce and employment statistics

Workforce characteristics

Employment by gender

Employment by age group

Labour force by industry

Employment by region

Job requirements

Education, training & qualifications

Skills

Education programs in B.C.

Related careers

Career paths and resources