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Printing Press Operators in Illinois

Considering working as a Printing Press Operators in Illinois? Here’s what the data says. Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.

What do Printing Press Operators Make in Illinois?

For printing press operators working in Illinois, the median annual wage is $47,210 per year (or about $22.70/hour).Pay can range from $30,120 at the 10th percentile to $75,680 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$30,120	$14.48
25th percentile	$36,750	$17.67
Median (50th)	$47,210	$22.70
75th percentile	$58,110	$27.94
90th percentile	$75,680	$36.39

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Illinois relative to the national average — is 1.76, indicating that printing press operators are more concentrated here than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, printing press operators earn a median of $31,814 per year ($15.30/hour), above the Illinois median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 70,126 printing press operators across the United States. In Illinois alone, approximately 10,060 people work in this role. That’s higher than the typical state, which employs around 1,950 printing press operators.

Top Illinois Metros for Printing Press Operators

The metro areas below employ the most printing press operators in Illinois.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	8,170	$47,930
Peoria, IL	170	$47,630
Bloomington, IL	120	$48,520
Champaign-Urbana, IL	120	$41,650
Rockford, IL	80	$42,190
Springfield, IL	70	$36,820
Decatur, IL	50	$48,690

Top States for Printing Press Operators Employment

These states have the highest employment of printing press operators work.

State	Number Employed
California	11,990
Illinois	10,060
Texas	9,510
Ohio	7,650
Florida	7,600
New York	7,200
Pennsylvania	6,770
Wisconsin	6,480
Indiana	5,230
Minnesota	4,800
Georgia	4,640
Michigan	4,320
North Carolina	3,950
New Jersey	3,840
Missouri	3,810
Tennessee	3,590
Arizona	2,890
Virginia	2,780
Alabama	2,760
Kansas	2,660

Highest-Paying States for Printing Press Operators

The highest-paying states for printing press operators.

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

Skills

Top printing press operators skills, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Knowledge Areas

Core knowledge areas for this occupation, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Abilities

Top abilities for printing press operators, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Daily Tasks

Printing Press Operators typically:

• 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.
• Secure printing plates to printing units and adjust tolerances.
• Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
• Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required.
• Obtain or mix inks and fill ink fountains.

Work Activities

• Controlling Machines and Processes
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Getting Information
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Scheduling Work and Activities
• Handling and Moving Objects
• Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Training and Teaching Others
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates

Tools & Technology

Technologies frequently used: Hot technologies: Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Illustrator

Related Careers

Other careers like printing press operators include:

• Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
• Industrial Machinery Mechanics
• Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic
• Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic

Also Known As

Aniline Press Worker, Back Up Machine Operator, Backer, Bag Press Operator, Bag Printer, Balloon Design Printer, Bander and Liner Operator, Ben-Day Artist, Binding Printer, Block Printer, Box Press Operator, Box Printer, Calico Printer, Carton Stamper, Cellophane Press Operator.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 51-5112.00