Powder Coater salary: how much powder coaters make in every state
Powder Coaters earned a median $23.20 an hour, or $48,250 a year, in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $19.52 and $28.69 an hour. Alaska has the highest state median at $33.61, and West Virginia the lowest at $20.65.
National pay for powder coaters
BLS has no separate figure for powder coaters. These are its numbers for coating, painting and spraying machine setters, operators and tenders, the closest group: workers who set up and run the machines and lines that coat, paint or spray products. They count workers on a payroll, so owners who run their own coating shop are not in them.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.43 | $36,260 |
| 25th percentile | $19.52 | $40,590 |
| Median | $23.20 | $48,250 |
| 75th percentile | $28.69 | $59,680 |
| 90th percentile | $35.93 | $74,730 |
| Average (mean) | $25.30 | $52,620 |
Powder Coater pay in every state, ranked
Ranked by median hourly wage, highest first. These are wages as paid, not adjusted for living costs. The five best-paying are Alaska, Washington, New Jersey, Maine and Maryland; the five lowest are West Virginia, Alabama, Michigan, New Mexico and Nevada. Pick a state for its full page: the pay range, how it compares with its neighbors, how many powder coaters work there and what a business should charge. BLS did not publish figures for 1 state; it shows at the end without a page.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median yearly | Bottom to top tenth | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $33.61 | $69,910 | $16.75 to $44.39 | 140 |
| 2 | Washington | $28.84 | $59,980 | $21.07 to $52.39 | 3,980 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $28.00 | $58,240 | $18.16 to $39.83 | 2,890 |
| 4 | Maine | $27.02 | $56,200 | $19.57 to $41.12 | 680 |
| 5 | Maryland | $26.69 | $55,510 | $17.89 to $50.32 | 1,010 |
| 6 | Colorado | $25.76 | $53,590 | $18.82 to $48.88 | 1,470 |
| 7 | Mississippi | $25.56 | $53,170 | $17.40 to $35.48 | 2,010 |
| 8 | California | $25.46 | $52,950 | $17.69 to $39.73 | 11,570 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $25.43 | $52,900 | $18.49 to $38.01 | 1,550 |
| 10 | Minnesota | $25.10 | $52,210 | $19.59 to $33.87 | 3,430 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $24.99 | $51,990 | $19.00 to $33.45 | 230 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $24.59 | $51,150 | $17.57 to $37.02 | 2,740 |
| 13 | North Dakota | $24.53 | $51,020 | $20.98 to $36.13 | 560 |
| 14 | Wyoming | $24.14 | $50,220 | $18.86 to $37.12 | 220 |
| 15 | Virginia | $23.98 | $49,880 | $17.39 to $34.31 | 4,130 |
| 16 | Rhode Island | $23.97 | $49,850 | $16.00 to $34.50 | 470 |
| 17 | Oregon | $23.75 | $49,400 | $19.37 to $36.50 | 2,470 |
| 18 | Vermont | $23.73 | $49,360 | $20.27 to $31.44 | 170 |
| 19 | Iowa | $23.72 | $49,330 | $17.86 to $31.23 | 3,220 |
| 19 | Nebraska | $23.72 | $49,340 | $18.74 to $31.87 | 740 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $23.64 | $49,170 | $18.79 to $30.77 | 6,120 |
| 22 | Ohio | $23.34 | $48,550 | $17.55 to $32.25 | 8,320 |
| 23 | New Hampshire | $23.27 | $48,410 | $19.51 to $35.54 | 430 |
| 24 | Pennsylvania | $23.24 | $48,340 | $17.84 to $33.61 | 6,790 |
| 25 | South Carolina | $23.18 | $48,220 | $17.40 to $33.48 | 2,780 |
| 26 | Illinois | $23.08 | $48,000 | $17.75 to $36.50 | 6,390 |
| 26 | New York | $23.08 | $48,000 | $18.04 to $37.43 | 3,270 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $23.07 | $47,980 | $18.15 to $32.83 | 1,150 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $23.05 | $47,950 | $17.11 to $30.45 | 810 |
| 30 | Utah | $23.02 | $47,880 | $17.60 to $33.00 | 1,740 |
| 31 | Arizona | $23.01 | $47,860 | $16.52 to $40.63 | 2,440 |
| 31 | Florida | $23.01 | $47,860 | $17.29 to $34.30 | 6,200 |
| 33 | Missouri | $22.88 | $47,580 | $17.55 to $36.60 | 3,860 |
| 34 | Montana | $22.78 | $47,380 | $17.84 to $29.27 | 330 |
| 35 | Indiana | $22.75 | $47,320 | $17.27 to $37.39 | 8,030 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $22.70 | $47,210 | $17.50 to $30.46 | 3,880 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $22.68 | $47,170 | $15.60 to $30.70 | 2,190 |
| 38 | Kansas | $22.66 | $47,120 | $17.48 to $36.86 | 3,160 |
| 39 | Texas | $22.48 | $46,750 | $16.25 to $37.77 | 16,600 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $22.47 | $46,730 | $17.12 to $32.56 | 5,700 |
| 41 | Georgia | $22.33 | $46,450 | $17.08 to $33.64 | 5,900 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $22.30 | $46,380 | $16.79 to $29.78 | 1,870 |
| 43 | Delaware | $22.17 | $46,120 | $15.17 to $36.44 | 100 |
| 44 | Idaho | $22.03 | $45,810 | $17.64 to $30.66 | 760 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $22.01 | $45,780 | $17.11 to $29.32 | 2,520 |
| 46 | Nevada | $21.99 | $45,750 | $17.53 to $39.74 | 640 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $21.99 | $45,730 | $17.09 to $31.24 | 400 |
| 48 | Michigan | $21.48 | $44,670 | $17.13 to $32.60 | 7,050 |
| 49 | Alabama | $21.27 | $44,250 | $15.00 to $29.29 | 5,250 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $20.65 | $42,950 | $15.23 to $30.21 | 370 |
| District of Columbia | Not published by BLS for May 2025 | ||||
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-9124, coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders, all industries. Read from the BLS state and national data files. Counts leave out the self-employed.
From a wage to a price
If you run the business, the wage is only the start. At the national median of $23.20, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) give a rate of $111.33 per billable hour. Try yours in the labor rate calculator.
Licensing, training and running the business
- Quotes, invoices, booking and your website in one place: how powder coating shops run on Koira.
Other trades
Powder Coater salary FAQ
How much do powder coaters make?
The national median was $23.20 an hour, or $48,250 a year, in May 2025: half of powder coaters earned more and half less. The average (mean) was $25.30 an hour, or $52,620 a year.
What is the pay range for powder coaters?
The lowest-paid tenth earned under $17.43 an hour ($36,260 a year) and the top tenth over $35.93 ($74,730 a year). The middle half earned between $19.52 and $28.69 an hour.
Which state pays powder coaters the most?
By median hourly wage, Alaska ($33.61 an hour, $69,910 a year), then Washington ($28.84 an hour, $59,980 a year) and New Jersey ($28.00 an hour, $58,240 a year). These are wages as paid, not adjusted for living costs.
Which state pays powder coaters the least?
West Virginia ($20.65 an hour, $42,950 a year) has the lowest median, then Alabama ($21.27 an hour, $44,250 a year) and Michigan ($21.48 an hour, $44,670 a year).
How many powder coaters work in the US?
BLS counts 158,740 on payrolls in May 2025. The self-employed are not in that count, so the real number is higher. The most work in Texas (16,600), California (11,570) and Ohio (8,320).
Where do these figures come from?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, SOC 51-9124 (coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders), across all industries. It covers wage and salary workers, not the self-employed.