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Printing Press Operators: Career Overview
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
What Do Printing Press Operators Perform?
Typical responsibilities of printing press operators cover:
- Start presses and pull proofs to check for ink coverage and density, alignment, and registration.
- Examine job orders to determine quantities to be printed, stock specifications, colors, or special printing instructions.
- Adjust ink fountain flow rates.
- Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
- Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
- Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls.
- Monitor automated press operation systems and respond to fault, error, or alert messages.
- Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Effective printing press operators draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Aniline Press Worker
- Back Up Machine Operator
- Backer
- Bag Press Operator
- Bag Printer
- Balloon Design Printer
- Bander and Liner Operator
- Ben-Day Artist
How Many Printing Press Operators Are There?
There are about 70,126 printing press operators working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +12.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Printing Press Operators
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $31,814 |
| Hourly median | $15.30 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $25,542 |
| 75th percentile | $38,086 |
| 90th percentile | $44,358 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Printing Press Operators Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $115,770 |
| New Jersey | $51,760 |
| Minnesota | $49,540 |
| Maryland | $49,450 |
| Washington | $49,230 |
| Massachusetts | $49,230 |
| Rhode Island | $48,310 |
| Arkansas | $48,310 |
| Wisconsin | $47,970 |
| Oregon | $47,900 |
| New Hampshire | $47,320 |
| Colorado | $47,270 |
| Illinois | $47,210 |
| Vermont | $46,820 |
| New York | $46,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,560 |
| California | $46,020 |
| Delaware | $45,910 |
| Michigan | $45,870 |
| Indiana | $45,740 |
| Kentucky | $45,530 |
| Ohio | $45,270 |
| Maine | $44,560 |
| Alaska | $44,500 |
| Connecticut | $43,930 |
| Missouri | $43,720 |
| North Carolina | $43,090 |
| Georgia | $42,800 |
| Virginia | $42,790 |
| South Dakota | $42,570 |
| Arizona | $41,900 |
| West Virginia | $41,650 |
| Wyoming | $41,410 |
| Nevada | $41,260 |
| Tennessee | $41,170 |
| Nebraska | $40,970 |
| Kansas | $40,580 |
| Texas | $40,000 |
| Utah | $39,740 |
| Iowa | $39,660 |
| Mississippi | $38,980 |
| Florida | $38,710 |
| Montana | $38,640 |
| North Dakota | $38,540 |
| Hawaii | $38,390 |
| South Carolina | $38,080 |
| Idaho | $37,310 |
| Louisiana | $36,810 |
| New Mexico | $35,380 |
| Oklahoma | $35,270 |
| Alabama | $34,980 |
| Guam | $26,260 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,880 |
Where Printing Press Operators Earn the Most
Pay for printing press operators shift depending on where you work. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $49,003 | 13.5% | 0.94 |
| New England | $47,041 | 3.9% | 0.86 |
| Great Lakes | $46,516 | 23.2% | 1.71 |
| Far Western US | $45,898 | 12.1% | 0.74 |
| Plains States | $43,845 | 11.4% | 1.72 |
| Rocky Mountains | $42,547 | 3.2% | 0.85 |
| Southeast | $40,956 | 22.7% | 0.97 |
| Southwest | $39,850 | 9.6% | 0.78 |
Highest-Paying Metro Areas for Printing Press Operators
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harrisonburg, VA | VA | $62,100 | 130 |
| Rochester, MN | MN | $58,820 | 100 |
| Napa, CA | CA | $57,010 | 60 |
| Modesto, CA | CA | $55,730 | 140 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $55,280 | 470 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $52,920 | 1,600 |
| Springfield, MA | MA | $52,060 | 280 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | NJ | $51,760 | 180 |
Industry Breakdown
Most printing press operators are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 107,890 | $46,010 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 10,730 | $39,350 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 6,020 | $37,670 |
| Wholesale Trade | 5,720 | $38,710 |
| Information | 5,490 | $45,720 |
| Retail Trade | 3,350 | $37,820 |
| Educational Services | 1,600 | $48,340 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 1,020 | $45,330 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tech Stack
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for printing press operators is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Time Pressure
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
Education and Training
Most printing press operators positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), signaling the level of preparation typically expected.
Similar Occupations
Similar Occupations
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer (Supplemental)
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Supplemental)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-5112.00 (Printing Press Operators).
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