Occupation salary profile

Printing Press Operators

SOC 51-5112 BLS OEWS May 2025

Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.

National median · BLS
$45,780
▲ +1.37% YoY
H-1B sponsor median
—
Too few H-1B filings
Average salary · BLS
$47,360
Mean annual wage
U.S. employment
144,260
Jobs (BLS)
Highest-paying state (cost-adjusted) Loading…
Most jobs Loading…
Highest-paying metro (cost-adjusted) Loading…

Check your salary

Enter your pay and a location to see where you stand against BLS and H-1B pay, your estimated take-home pay, and your purchasing power.

Pay range for Printing Press Operators

Annual base pay at each percentile. BLS covers all U.S. workers in this occupation.

Percentile All U.S. workers (BLS)
10th — entry pay$33,330
25th$37,390
Median (50th)$45,780
75th$55,740
90th — top pay$63,520

Hourly ⇄ annual pay

Type in either box; the other updates instantly.

Monthly—
Every 2 weeks—
Weekly—
Daily—
Based on hrs/week × weeks/year = 2,080 hrs
Projections 2025–2035

Job outlook for Printing Press Operators

BLS projects employment of printing press operators to decline 8.7% from 2025 to 2035, while employment across all occupations grows 3.5%. About 12,100 openings are projected each year, on average, from new jobs and from replacing workers who retire or move to other occupations.

Jobs 2025 → 2035
144,000 → 131,400
-12,600 jobs
Projected change
-8.7%
All occupations: +3.5%
Openings per year
12,100
Average, 2025–2035
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
No related experience required
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
1.5% of workers (2025)
Preparation needed (O*NET Job Zone 2)
Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Fastest-declining jobs → Best-paying jobs that need a high school diploma →

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035

Skills & tools

Skills needed for Printing Press Operators

How important each skill and knowledge area is for this job, rated by O*NET on a 1–5 scale from surveys of workers and occupational analysts.

Top skills
  • Quality Control Analysis3.9
  • Operations Monitoring3.6
  • Monitoring3.3
  • Operation and Control3.3
  • Active Listening3.1
  • Critical Thinking3.1
  • Equipment Maintenance3.1
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.1
  • Reading Comprehension3.1
  • Repairing3.1
Top knowledge areas
  • Mechanical3.8
  • Production and Processing3.7
  • Customer and Personal Service2.9
  • English Language2.8
  • Computers and Electronics2.8
  • Mathematics2.7
  • Chemistry2.5
  • Public Safety and Security2.1
Software and technology used
Adobe AcrobatAdobe IllustratorAdobe InDesignAdobe PhotoshopMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Office softwareMicrosoft OutlookMicrosoft WordSAP softwareAABACH Graphic Systems DIGRAAdobe LifeCycle Production Print ES3Adobe PageMakerCorel CorelDraw Graphics SuiteElectronics for Imaging EFI MonarchElectronics for Imaging EFI PaceEmail softwareEnfocus PitStop ProGraphics software

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 printing press operators do

  • 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.
Also called
Press OperatorPressmanPrinterPrinting Press OperatorDigital Press OperatorFlexographic Press OperatorOffset Press OperatorOffset PressmanPrinting PressmanWeb Press Operator
More job titles for this occupation (80)
Aniline Press WorkerBack Up Machine OperatorBackerBag Press OperatorBag PrinterBalloon Design PrinterBander and Liner OperatorBen-Day ArtistBinding PrinterBlock PrinterBox Press OperatorBox PrinterCalico PrinterCarton StamperCellophane Press OperatorCloth PrinterCloth Printing Back TenderCollating Machine OperatorCollatorCollator OperatorCopper Plate PrinterCovererCut and Print Machine OperatorCut PressmanCut-Press OperatorCutting and Printing Machine OperatorCylinder Press OperatorDesign Printing Machine Set-Up OperatorDesign Printing Machine SetterDie MounterDie Stamping Press OperatorDigital Color Press OperatorDigital Print OperatorDigital Printer OperatorDigital Production OperatorDuplex TrimmerElectrotype CasterElectrotype FinisherElectrotype MolderElectrotyperEmbosserEmbossing Machine OperatorEmbossing Press OperatorEmbossograph OperatorEngraver Set-Up OperatorEngraving Press OperatorEngrosserFlexo OperatorFlexo Press OperatorFlexographic Press Set-Up OperatorFlexographic Printing Press OperatorFloor Covering PrinterFolding Rules Printing Machine OperatorGalley WorkerGilderGlove PrinterGold Leaf PrinterGravure Press OperatorGravure Press Set-Up OperatorIdentification Printing Machine SetterInk PrinterInstant Print OperatorJob Press OperatorJob PrinterKelly Machine OperatorLabel PrinterLarge Sheetfed Press OperatorLaser Printing OperatorLettererLetterpress SetterLetterset Press Set-Up OperatorLine-Up ExaminerLithoduplicator OperatorLithograph Press FeederLithograph Press OperatorLithograph PrinterLithographic Press OperatorLithographing Machine OperatorLithoplate MakerMachine Carton Marker

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.