Home / Tasks / Apply protective or decorative finishes to workpieces or products
None of the 19 jobs that do this have AI or robot evidence for it yet. Jobs spend a median of 17m of an 8-hour shift on it, and about 1.2 million U.S. workers hold these jobs.
Every job that does this
Each job words the task its own way. Minutes are that job's estimate for a typical shift; the label is the evidence for that job's version.
| Job and its version of the task | Per shift | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Painting, Coating, and Decorating WorkersApply coatings, such as paint, ink, or lacquer, to protect or decorate workpiece surfaces, using spray guns, pens, or brushes. | 3h 16m | No evidence yet |
| Furniture FinishersBrush, spray, or hand-rub finishing ingredients, such as paint, oil, stain, or wax, onto and into wood grain and apply lacquer or other sealers. | 1h 55m | No evidence yet |
| Cleaners of Vehicles and EquipmentApply paints, dyes, polishes, reconditioners, waxes, or masking materials to vehicles to preserve, protect, or restore color or condition. | 50m | No evidence yet |
| Manufacturing PottersMix and apply glazes to pottery pieces, using tools, such as spray guns. | 48m | No evidence yet |
| Etchers and EngraversPrepare workpieces for etching or engraving by cutting, sanding, cleaning, polishing, or treating them with wax, acid resist, lime, etching powder, or light-sensitive enamel. | 35m | No evidence yet |
| BakersApply glazes, icings, or other toppings to baked goods, using spatulas or brushes. | 32m | No evidence yet |
| Wood Model MakersFinish patterns or models with protective or decorative coatings such as shellac, lacquer, or wax. | 25m | No evidence yet |
| Wood PatternmakersFinish completed products or models with shellac, lacquer, wax, or paint. | 24m | No evidence yet |
| Coil Winders, Tapers, and FinishersApply solutions or paints to wired electrical components, using hand tools, and bake components. | 18m | No evidence yet |
| Plating Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticImmerse objects to be coated or plated into cleaning solutions, or spray objects with conductive solutions to prepare them for plating. | 17m | No evidence yet |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticInstall dies onto machines or presses and coat dies with parting agents, according to work order specifications. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersApply primer over any repairs made to surfaces. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Patternmakers, Metal and PlasticPaint or lacquer patterns. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Layout Workers, Metal and PlasticApply pigment to layout surfaces, using paint brushes. | 12m | No evidence yet |
| Jewelers and Precious Stone and Metal WorkersPlate articles such as jewelry pieces and watch dials, using silver, gold, nickel, or other metals. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Tire BuildersClean and paint completed tires. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Medical Appliance TechniciansMix pigments to match patients' skin coloring, according to formulas, and apply mixtures to orthotic or prosthetic devices. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Cabinetmakers and Bench CarpentersApply Masonite, formica, or vinyl surfacing materials. | 6m | No evidence yet |
| Tool Grinders, Filers, and SharpenersPlace workpieces in electroplating solutions or apply pigments to surfaces of workpieces to highlight ridges and grooves. | under 1m | No evidence yet |
How to read this
This task type comes from O*NET's detailed work activities, which link similar tasks across jobs. A label applies to one job's version of the task: AI use comes from real AI conversations (Anthropic Economic Index) and robot evidence from deployments in real workplaces. "No evidence yet" may just mean the task is rare in the data. How we keep time.
See all 250 shared tasks, or find any job on the big clock.