How to hire plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes. • Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times. • Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage. • Maintain production records. • Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur. • Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines. • Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications. • Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong active listening, monitoring, reading comprehension, critical thinking and speaking skills • Working knowledge of production and processing and mathematics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $21.14 an hour ($43,960 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to maintain production records. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic do
- Adjust dials to regulate flow of current and voltage supplied to terminals to control plating processes.
- Immerse workpieces in coating solutions or liquid metal or plastic for specified times.
- Inspect coated or plated areas for defects, such as air bubbles or uneven coverage.
- Maintain production records.
- Observe gauges to ensure that machines are operating properly, making adjustments or stopping machines when problems occur.
- Remove excess materials or impurities from objects, using air hoses or grinding machines.
- Remove objects from solutions at periodic intervals and observe objects to verify conformance to specifications.
- Set up, operate, or tend plating or coating machines to coat metal or plastic products with chromium, zinc, copper, cadmium, nickel, or other metal to protect or decorate surfaces.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -9.7% over ten years, declining · about 2,500 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Arizona | $47,110 |
| Ohio | $46,790 |
| California | $46,760 |
| Minnesota | $46,730 |
| Florida | $46,460 |
| Michigan | $37,600 |
| Connecticut | $37,220 |
| Kentucky | $34,680 |
See plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic pay in every state
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.