Salary guide, May 2025
Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in the United States was $53,750 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $46,790 and $63,010.
Direct match · SOC 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $39,240 | $46,790 | $53,750 | $63,010 | $77,530 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $18.87 | $22.50 | $25.84 | $30.29 | $37.28 |
BLS estimated 416,210 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $54,590 | $47,870 to $62,630 | 3,510 | 0.46 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $49,930 | $46,670 to $60,310 | 2,520 | 0.65 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $50,200 | $45,940 to $59,630 | 2,020 | 0.53 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $56,940 | $47,190 to $60,980 | 1,090 | 0.55 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $61,680 | $52,790 to $75,930 | 5,780 | 0.23 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $61,680 | $52,790 to $75,930 | 5,780 | 0.23 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $51,630 | $46,180 to $62,670 | 10,620 | 0.98 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $52,650 | $46,270 to $61,750 | 9,320 | 0.77 |
Rank every metro for Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing (NAICS 324000)$99,570
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$76,240
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$67,540
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$64,980
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$53,660
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$53,550
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$51,580
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$51,100
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$50,870
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$50,700
- Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321000)$49,970
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$49,890
- Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (NAICS 337000)$47,860
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$47,400
- Textile Product Mills (NAICS 314000)$46,370
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 274,710 | $46,560 | $51,210 | $60,920 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 112,520 | $46,470 | $50,870 | $60,450 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 70,020 | $46,540 | $50,640 | $60,410 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 63,880 | $47,530 | $53,660 | $61,020 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 63,500 | $46,560 | $51,100 | $61,980 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 56,750 | $47,520 | $53,680 | $61,000 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 25,910 | $46,290 | $50,870 | $59,990 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 22,560 | $46,190 | $49,340 | $56,790 |
| 332700 · 4-digit | Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 15,760 | $46,570 | $52,280 | $61,120 |
| 332710 · 5-digit | Machine Shops | 14,960 | $46,790 | $52,240 | $61,110 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 14,470 | $40,180 | $47,300 | $54,890 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 14,370 | $50,580 | $62,470 | $66,960 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 7,520 | $44,640 | $50,700 | $61,010 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | 5,830 | $46,700 | $51,580 | $59,810 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 4,840 | $39,080 | $47,400 | $59,210 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 4,330 | $46,070 | $49,890 | $57,980 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 4,160 | $54,690 | $64,140 | $78,700 |
| 337000 · 3-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 3,480 | $41,670 | $47,860 | $51,660 |
| 3370A1 · 4-digit | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 3,340 | $41,670 | $47,700 | $51,390 |
| 339900 · 4-digit | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 3,270 | $45,400 | $49,310 | $58,060 |
| 333500 · 4-digit | Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 3,090 | $47,940 | $54,490 | $62,110 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 3,080 | $47,480 | $55,820 | $62,050 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 3,010 | $47,220 | $51,270 | $60,120 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 2,970 | $52,320 | $63,360 | $78,150 |
| 331100 · 4-digit | Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | 2,920 | $42,520 | $46,430 | $58,760 |
| 336900 · 4-digit | Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 2,680 | $37,310 | $49,280 | $62,250 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 2,310 | $45,990 | $55,640 | $62,300 |
| 336500 · 4-digit | Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing | 2,280 | $49,210 | $52,950 | $62,490 |
| 331200 · 4-digit | Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel | 2,160 | $46,460 | $53,740 | $61,630 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 2,080 | $46,150 | $53,550 | $63,890 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 2,060 | $71,790 | $76,240 | $79,850 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 1,970 | $72,890 | $76,240 | $79,850 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 1,930 | $37,780 | $43,000 | $48,010 |
| 331500 · 4-digit | Foundries | 1,700 | $49,380 | $55,820 | $64,360 |
| 326000 · 3-digit | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 1,610 | $39,840 | $45,920 | $57,150 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 1,250 | $45,460 | $51,000 | $56,380 |
| 335200 · 4-digit | Household Appliance Manufacturing | 1,150 | $48,000 | $48,560 | $54,190 |
| 326100 · 4-digit | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 1,130 | $38,900 | $44,430 | $53,300 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 1,050 | $49,890 | $49,890 | $57,760 |
| 333600 · 4-digit | Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 1,030 | $47,710 | $57,730 | $63,340 |
| 332800 · 4-digit | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 830 | $43,830 | $49,700 | $58,530 |
| 332720 · 5-digit | Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing | 790 | $43,970 | $53,730 | $62,670 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 760 | $59,620 | $64,980 | $70,660 |
| 314000 · 3-digit | Textile Product Mills | 640 | $37,790 | $46,370 | $55,860 |
| 314900 · 4-digit | Other Textile Product Mills | 630 | $38,110 | $46,680 | $55,990 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 550 | $44,500 | $49,970 | $57,750 |
| 326200 · 4-digit | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 480 | $43,680 | $49,190 | $59,020 |
| 324000 · 3-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 470 | $69,140 | $99,570 | $106,940 |
| 324100 · 4-digit | Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 470 | $69,140 | $99,570 | $106,940 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 450 | $45,080 | $49,610 | $57,750 |
| 311300 · 4-digit | Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing | 410 | $60,560 | $65,520 | $69,910 |
| 331400 · 4-digit | Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing | 400 | $46,640 | $50,160 | $63,460 |
| 334200 · 4-digit | Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 350 | $43,990 | $49,050 | $55,480 |
| 335100 · 4-digit | Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing | 350 | $42,640 | $46,390 | $57,370 |
| 331300 · 4-digit | Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing | 340 | $46,420 | $51,630 | $62,980 |
| 337900 · 4-digit | Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing | 140 | $47,680 | $49,230 | $57,200 |
| 322100 · 4-digit | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 130 | $47,690 | $68,120 | $85,580 |
| 334300 · 4-digit | Audio and Video Equipment Manufacturing | 130 | $37,840 | $42,320 | $45,960 |
| 334100 · 4-digit | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 120 | $37,050 | $38,490 | $46,430 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 90 | $59,860 | $63,360 | $69,070 |
| 311200 · 4-digit | Grain and Oilseed Milling | 70 | $52,760 | $63,100 | $72,030 |
| 3250A2 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 70 | $50,160 | $68,800 | $71,520 |
| 321100 · 4-digit | Sawmills and Wood Preservation | 60 | $47,010 | $54,020 | $65,790 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 50 | $67,840 | $72,840 | $76,900 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 50 | $59,800 | $61,400 | $62,580 |
| 321200 · 4-digit | Veneer, Plywood, and Engineered Wood Product Manufacturing | 40 | $40,490 | $45,260 | $51,590 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 30 | $52,980 | $67,610 | $83,540 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 30 | $61,750 | $67,540 | $78,980 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $45,580 | $51,000 | $61,610 |
| May 2025 | $46,790 | $53,750 | $63,010 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about the authority you are offering?
Settle paint and powder process experience rather than assuming one method proves another before outreach begins. We put the difference around paint and powder process experience rather than assuming one method proves another in front of you so the interview tests missing experience rather than assuming it is already there.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician?
The median annual wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in the United States was $53,750 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $46,790 and $63,010.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $39,240. 90% earned less than $77,530.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician at a plant?
Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician is shown within the broader published occupation. BLS does not separate this plant-specific title, seniority, shift, process or credential. Compare the duties with the SOC definition before using the range. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 416,210 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
Production Welder (MIG) pay TIG Welder pay Code Welder (ASME / Pressure Vessel) pay Robotic Welding Technician pay Press Brake Operator pay Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician pay ranked across all metros Open jobs Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician recruiting Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters examines the Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician under the SOC 51-4121 classification. This SOC title bundles the role with broader welding and cutting functions. Consequently, the BLS figures exclude specific credentials for coating defect analysis or powder application techniques. For Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates.
The May 2025 median is $53,750; the May 2024 median is $51,000. Their arithmetic difference is $2,750. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. The national P25 and P75 represent a middle-band width of $16,220, with the P25 at $46,790 and the P75 at $63,010.
National industry wages in Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing reach a median of $99,570, whereas Chemical Manufacturing shows $76,240. These industry figures are relevant for national comparison but represent the entire occupation. Regionally, the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX, area reports a median of $57,940 and a middle-band width of $24,990. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, area median is $51,630 with a $16,490 middle-band width. These figures reflect the occupation's employment concentration and do not account for individual plant requirements such as advanced cure cycles or specific coating equipment maintenance.
The P10 of $39,240 and the P90 of $77,530 define the range across the national occupational data. Since the role maps directly to the broader SOC 51-4121, recruiters must verify candidate skills in paint and powder process applications rather than relying on occupation averages. For Industrial Painter / Powder Coat Technician in the United States, OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Commissions and production bonuses are included; overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits are excluded. Using the industry-specific medians provides a clearer view of pay potential in heavy manufacturing contexts, though these figures remain bounded by the limitations of the broad SOC classification. All hiring decisions should balance these reference points with the specific production needs of the paint and powder line.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
How should I interpret the occupation mapping to 51-4121?
The mapping indicates that this role is a subset of the broader SOC definition for welders and related workers. Because BLS combines these roles, the data does not reflect specialized powder coat or industrial painting expertise.
Are the regional medians representative of local paint technician pay?
Regional medians like $57,940 for Houston are based on the total occupation 51-4121. They provide a general benchmark for regional labor costs but do not isolate the specific market rate for industrial painting technicians.
What is the significance of the $16,220 middle-band width?
The middle-band width of $16,220 highlights the variance in compensation within the P25 to P75 range. This reflects the broad scope of the SOC category rather than targeted pay brackets for painting roles.
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