Prevailing Wage for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Prevailing wage requirements for an Automotive Painter working in the U.S. on an H-1B, E-3, or green card sponsorship depend on DOL's four experience-based wage levels and the specific city where the work is performed. Whether your offer covers an Automotive Refinish Technician, a Paint Technician, or an Industrial Painter role, the wage floor can shift significantly from metro to metro.
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Level 1 covers entry-level Automotive Painter positions where the worker follows routine instructions under close supervision, has limited hands-on finishing experience, and performs basic coating or paint application tasks without independent judgment over process or materials selection.
Level 2 is the most common filing level for this occupation. It covers qualified Automotive Painters who work with moderate supervision, apply a defined range of coating and refinishing techniques, and handle standard production or repair workflows with some independent decision-making.
Level 3 applies to experienced Automotive Painters who operate with significant autonomy, troubleshoot finish quality issues, may train entry-level workers, and handle complex substrates or specialty coatings such as custom refinishing, fleet repaints, or industrial spray applications.
Level 4 covers fully competent Automotive Painters in senior or lead roles who set production standards, oversee equipment calibration and mix ratios, manage quality control across a team, and take ownership of compliance with safety and environmental coating regulations.
Prevailing Wage for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders by OES area
Each shape is a DOL OES area, the unit prevailing wage is published for.
What’s an OES area?
The Department of Labor publishes prevailing wages for geographic zones called OES areas. Every U.S. county belongs to exactly one, and the wage floor applies across the whole area. A worker in Oakland gets the San Francisco metro wage, not a separate Oakland wage.
Top 10 cities · Level 1
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See which U.S. employers are actively hiring for Automotive Painter and sponsoring H-1B, OPT, and green card visas at or above the prevailing wage.
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Verify which metro the LCA worksite names
Auto body shops and industrial coating facilities often operate out of secondary metro areas with substantially lower prevailing wages than nearby major cities. Confirm the LCA lists your actual physical shop address, not a corporate headquarters, because DOL uses the worksite location to set the wage floor.
Watch how sign-on bonuses are counted
Some employers offset a below-floor base wage with a sign-on bonus amortized over the first year. DOL prevailing wage compliance requires the annualized base salary to meet the floor independently; one-time payments do not substitute for ongoing wage obligations in Automotive Painter filings.
Understand why Portland and San Francisco differ so sharply
Regional OES survey data drives the gap. Portland, Maine and San Francisco show some of the highest wage floors for this role, while markets like Gadsden, Alabama and San Juan, Puerto Rico sit near the national low. DOL sets each metro floor from local employer survey data, not national medians.
Find sponsors with Migrate Mate before negotiating
Automotive Painter and Auto Refinish Technician roles are concentrated in auto body chains, dealership groups, and industrial manufacturers. Migrate Mate filters sponsored listings by role and shows which employers have a documented history of sponsoring this occupation, so you can target outreach before discussing wages.
Jobs for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Jobs for Automotive PainterPrevailing Wage by Reported Job Title
DOL classifies these titles under SOC 51-9124.00 alongside Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, so the same four-tier wage schedule applies to each. Tap a title to see the full breakdown.
Automotive Painter (Auto Painter) Prevailing Wage
Automotive Painter (Auto Painter) Prevailing Wage
Automotive Painter (Auto Painter) positions fall under SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech) Prevailing Wage
Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech) Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Automotive Refinish Technician (Auto Refinish Tech) for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Coater Operator Prevailing Wage
Coater Operator Prevailing Wage
Coater Operator is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Hand Sprayer Prevailing Wage
Hand Sprayer Prevailing Wage
Hand Sprayer positions fall under SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Industrial Painter Prevailing Wage
Industrial Painter Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Industrial Painter for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Paint Technician (Paint Tech) Prevailing Wage
Paint Technician (Paint Tech) Prevailing Wage
Paint Technician (Paint Tech) is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Painter Prevailing Wage
Painter Prevailing Wage
Painter positions fall under SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Powder Coater Prevailing Wage
Powder Coater Prevailing Wage
When a U.S. employer sponsors a Powder Coater for a work visa or green card, DOL applies the prevailing wage schedule for SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). Wage level reflects the role's experience and responsibility, not the title itself.
Spray Painter Prevailing Wage
Spray Painter Prevailing Wage
Spray Painter is an O*NET-reported job title within SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). All roles in this SOC share the same prevailing wage tiers. The level an employer files at depends on what the role requires, not which title is used.
Top Coater Prevailing Wage
Top Coater Prevailing Wage
Top Coater positions fall under SOC 51-9124.00 (Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders). DOL OFLC publishes one four-tier prevailing wage schedule for the entire classification; employers filing H-1B, E-3, or PERM petitions for this title use the levels below.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does DOL set the prevailing wage for an Automotive Painter role?
DOL uses Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics across hundreds of metropolitan areas. For SOC 51-9124, OFLC maps those regional survey results to four wage levels and publishes them in its prevailing wage database. An employer sponsoring an Automotive Painter must pay at least the level that matches the position's duties and supervision requirements at the specific worksite.
How do I know which of the four wage levels applies to my offer?
DOL defines each level by the degree of supervision, complexity of tasks, and range of independent judgment the role requires. Level 1 is for closely supervised entry work; Level 2 is the most common and covers qualified technicians working standard processes; Level 3 applies to experienced painters with meaningful autonomy; Level 4 covers lead or senior roles. Review the job description against those criteria and confirm the level your employer states on the LCA matches the actual duties.
Why does the prevailing wage for the same Automotive Painter role vary so much by city?
OFLC derives each metro floor from regional OES surveys that capture what employers in that area actually pay workers in SOC 51-9124. Labor markets with higher costs of living, stronger union presence, or denser demand for finishing technicians produce higher survey results. The LCA must list the physical worksite, and DOL uses that address to pull the correct metro wage, so a role at a Portland shop and one at a San Juan shop can carry very different floors even with identical duties.
What happens if an employer offers below the prevailing wage for a sponsored Automotive Painter position?
USCIS will not approve an H-1B petition where the offered wage falls below the DOL prevailing wage certified on the LCA. If the LCA itself understates the correct level, OFLC can audit and reject the certification. For green card sponsorship via PERM, a sub-floor wage is grounds for denial. The employer is legally obligated to pay the prevailing wage for the duration of the sponsored status, not just at the time of filing.
How can I look up the prevailing wage for an Automotive Painter in a specific U.S. city?
Use the OFLC Wage Search tool, which lets you enter a SOC code and a metropolitan area to retrieve current DOL wage levels. Search for SOC 51-9124 and enter your worksite metro. You can also check O*NET for occupation-level wage context. For finding employers who have actively sponsored this role, Migrate Mate lets you filter by occupation, visa type, and location to see companies with documented sponsorship history.
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