94213 – Industrial painters, coaters and metal finishing process operators
Lead statement
Industrial painters and coaters operate and tend machines or use brushes and spray equipment to apply paint, enamel, lacquer or other non-metallic protective and decorative coatings to surfaces of various products.
Main duties
- Select appropriate paint or mix paints using automated paint mixing equipment according to a predetermined formula
- Operate or tend equipment to clean, wash, strip, sand, remove corrosion, fill dents or otherwise prepare items for application of paint, lacquer or other protective or decorative coatings
- Operate or tend automated spray paint, dip or flow coating equipment or other mechanized painting or product coating application equipment
- Operate hand-held spray guns to spray paint or coat stationary items or items on 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
- May prepare and apply stencils, computer-generated decals or other decorative items on finished products.
- 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.
Employment requirements
- Secondary school education is usually 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.
Example job titles
spray painter · assembly line painter · ceramic spray painter · production coating machine operator · industrial coater · industrial products painter · industrial paint finisher · car painter - manufacturing · aircraft painter · aviation painter · vehicle cleaner-coater · automobile assembly painter · electroformer · metal coater · metal coater operator · metal coating-equipment operator · galvanizing machine operator · metal plating-equipment operator · metal spray operator · metal sprayer · metal-dipping equipment operator
Wages (per hour)
| Province / territory | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | $18.00 | $24.61 | $36.00 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $20.00 | $36.01 | $47.00 |
| Nova Scotia | $17.55 | $33.92 | $40.16 |
| New Brunswick | $16.50 | $23.00 | $34.00 |
| Quebec | $17.00 | $24.50 | $32.00 |
| Ontario | $18.00 | $23.57 | $33.00 |
| Manitoba | $16.50 | $24.00 | $31.60 |
| Saskatchewan | $20.73 | $27.20 | $37.06 |
| Alberta | $22.00 | $26.00 | $35.00 |
| British Columbia | $20.50 | $30.00 | $47.00 |
Source: Job Bank wages, 2025 release (ESDC). Low and high are the 10th and 90th percentiles.
Occupation details: ESDC OaSIS 2025, based on NOC 2021.