SOC 51-9124 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders — Memphis
Memphis, TN-MS-AR · 9 metro areas compared
The median wage for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Memphis, TN is $48,480 per year, close to the national median of $48,250 for the same occupation.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
Salary overview
The median wage for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Memphis, TN is $48,480 per year, close to the national median of $48,250 for the same occupation. Pay ranges from under $36,650 at the tenth percentile to more than $77,150 at the ninetieth, with the interquartile range running from $39,600 to $63,150.
The area has 350 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.6 of every thousand jobs. Chattanooga leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $49,850. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 341st of 564 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,650 | −24.0% |
| 25th | $39,600 | −17.9% |
| Median (50th) | $48,480 | +0.5% |
| 75th | $63,150 | +30.9% |
| 90th | $77,150 | +59.9% |
| Mean | $53,000 | +9.8% |
Other metro areas in Tennessee
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chattanooga | $49,850 | 530 | |
| 2 | Nashville | $49,780 | 1,010 | |
| 3 | Clarksville | $48,510 | 110 | |
| 4 | Jackson | $46,110 | 110 | |
| 5 | Cleveland | $45,560 | 50 | |
| 6 | Knoxville | $45,450 | 490 | |
| 7 | Kingsport | $45,440 | 250 | |
| 8 | Morristown | $44,780 | 110 | |
| 9 | Johnson City | $44,600 | 70 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Memphis run 8.1% below the national average, so the median of $48,480 goes as far as $52,753 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 9.3% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$48,480as reported by BLSLocal price level
91.9US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$52,753US average = 100 · BEA 2024Key takeaways
- Median pay is $48,480 a year, 0.5% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,650 to $77,150 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 350 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Chattanooga, at $49,850.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders in Memphis, TN?
The median annual wage is $48,480, or $23.31 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $48,250, so pay in Memphis, TN is 0.5% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Memphis, TN earns more than $77,150 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,650 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Chattanooga, at $49,850 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 350 jobs in this occupation in Memphis, TN. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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