What Does it Take to Be a Printing Press Operator?
Printing Press Operator Job Description Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
List of Printing Press Operator Job Duties
- Monitor inventory levels on a regular basis, ordering or requesting additional supplies, as necessary.
- Direct or monitor work of press crews.
- Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
- Download completed jobs to archive media so that questions can be answered or jobs replicated.
- Maintain time or production records.
- Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required.
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Skills Needed to be a Printing Press Operator
Printing Press Operators state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
Quality Control Analysis: Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
Operation Monitoring: Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
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- Info Print Press Operator
- Textile Screen Maker
- Semiconductor Package Symbol Stamper
- Stamping Press Operator
Job Opportunities for Printing Press Operators
In the United States, there were 178,700 jobs for Printing Press Operator in 2016. There is little to no growth in job opportunities for Printing Press Operator. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 15,800 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Printing Press Operator are Idaho, Nevada, and Utah. Watch out if you plan on working in Kansas, Kentucky, or Hawaii. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
What is the Average Salary of a Printing Press Operator
The typical yearly salary for Printing Press Operators is somewhere between $22,690 and $58,710.

Printing Press Operators who work in District of Columbia, Alaska, or Minnesota, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Printing Press Operators in different U.S. states.
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $30,740 |
Alaska | $48,140 |
Arizona | $34,240 |
Arkansas | $35,480 |
California | $39,380 |
Colorado | $39,370 |
Connecticut | $38,600 |
Delaware | $42,280 |
District of Columbia | $80,680 |
Florida | $33,640 |
Georgia | $34,000 |
Hawaii | $43,120 |
Idaho | $32,650 |
Illinois | $44,050 |
Indiana | $34,610 |
Iowa | $35,090 |
Kansas | $34,350 |
Kentucky | $33,540 |
Louisiana | $31,280 |
Maine | $35,380 |
Maryland | $39,850 |
Massachusetts | $42,890 |
Michigan | $36,070 |
Minnesota | $44,670 |
Mississippi | $32,690 |
Missouri | $42,920 |
Montana | $33,320 |
Nebraska | $35,110 |
Nevada | $36,040 |
New Hampshire | $43,250 |
New Jersey | $45,580 |
New Mexico | $32,220 |
New York | $41,770 |
North Carolina | $37,090 |
North Dakota | $35,410 |
Ohio | $36,730 |
Oklahoma | $30,430 |
Oregon | $37,920 |
Pennsylvania | $39,150 |
Rhode Island | $41,250 |
South Carolina | $35,770 |
South Dakota | $35,720 |
Tennessee | $38,170 |
Texas | $38,710 |
Utah | $35,550 |
Vermont | $40,570 |
Virginia | $38,690 |
Washington | $42,060 |
West Virginia | $30,630 |
Wisconsin | $38,430 |
Wyoming | $34,540 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Printing Press Operators
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Printing Press Operators:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Outlook
- Email software
- Word processing software
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign
- Graphics software
- Inventory tracking software
- Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker
- QuarkXPress
- Image editing software
- Adobe Systems Adobe LifeCycle Production Print ES3
How do I Become a Printing Press Operator?
What kind of Printing Press Operator requirements are there?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Printing Press Operator?

Where Printing Press Operators Work

Printing Press Operators work in the following industries:

Related Careers
Those interested in being a Printing Press Operator may also be interested in:
Are you already one of the many Printing Press Operator in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International
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