Format and proof text and images submitted by designers and clients into finished pages that can be printed. Includes digital and photo typesetting. May produce printing plates.
National median · BLS
$48,690
▲ +2.94%YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$50,800
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
23,840
Jobs (BLS)
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Pay range for Prepress Technicians and Workers
Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.
Percentile
All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay
$35,810
25th
$40,930
Median (50th)
$48,690
75th
$58,580
90th — top pay
$66,080
Hourly ⇄ annual pay
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Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on
hrs/week ×
weeks/year
= 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035
Job outlook for Prepress Technicians and Workers
BLS projects employment of prepress technicians and workers to decline 15.3% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%.
About 2,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.
Jobs 2025 → 2035
24,700 → 20,900
-3,800 jobs
Projected change
-15.3%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
2,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
No related experience required
Self-employed
5.1% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 3)
Medium Preparation Needed. Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Highlighted = in demand: frequently listed in employer job postings for this occupation (O*NET).
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
About the job
What prepress technicians and workers do
Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece.
Proofread and perform quality control of text and images.
Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer.
Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.
Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
Source: O*NET 31.0 (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0). These are general job titles, not H-1B filings; for titles employers actually filed, see “Job titles” above.
Similar jobs and how they pay
Occupations O*NET lists as closely related to Prepress Technicians and Workers, with BLS national medians compared with this occupation's $48,690.
