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Printing Press Operators Salary
Printing Press Operators earn a median $45,780 a year in the U.S., with 144,260 jobs (May 2025).
- Median wage
- $45,780 a year
- Employment
- 144,260
- Excludes self-employed
- Projected growth
- -8.7%
- 2025 to 2035
- Openings per year
- 12,100
- Average, including replacements
Pay range nationally
The middle half of workers earn between the 25th and 75th percentile (shaded)
- Median (50%)
- $45,780 · $22.01 an hour
- Mean (average)
- $47,360 · $22.77 an hour (estimate error ±0.4%)
- 10th percentile
- $33,330 · $16.03 an hour
- 25th percentile
- $37,390 · $17.98 an hour
- 75th percentile
- $55,740 · $26.80 an hour
- 90th percentile
- $63,520 · $30.54 an hour
- Employment
- 144,260 (estimate error ±1.2%)
What they do
Standard Occupational Classification definition
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
Job outlook
BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035
- Jobs in 2025
- 144,000
- Projected for 2035
- 131,400
- Change
- -12,600 (-8.7%)
- Openings each year
- 12,100
- Typical education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
- Self-employed
- 1.5%
Highest paying states
Median wage for this occupation
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| # | State | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $116,630 | 350 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $53,050 | 2,110 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $50,430 | 4,180 |
| 4 | Washington | $49,800 | 2,310 |
| 5 | Oregon | $48,760 | 1,330 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $48,560 | 4,960 |
| 7 | New Hampshire | $48,410 | 680 |
| 8 | Kentucky | $48,000 | 2,470 |
| 9 | Colorado | $47,860 | 1,830 |
| 10 | New York | $47,860 | 6,700 |
States with the most jobs
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| State | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| California | 12,320 | $46,110 |
| Illinois | 9,550 | $46,260 |
| Texas | 9,110 | $42,550 |
| Wisconsin | 8,120 | $47,330 |
| Ohio | 7,500 | $45,760 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,150 | $47,010 |
| Florida | 7,060 | $41,180 |
| New York | 6,700 | $47,860 |
| Michigan | 5,110 | $45,280 |
| Minnesota | 4,960 | $48,560 |
Highest paying metro areas
Metro areas with at least 100 jobs in this occupation
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| # | Metro area | Median wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrisonburg, VA | $64,180 | 130 |
| 2 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $58,750 | 610 |
| 3 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $56,350 | 180 |
| 4 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $55,920 | 180 |
| 5 | Springfield, MA | $55,740 | 270 |
| 6 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $54,230 | 240 |
| 7 | Worcester, MA | $53,210 | 210 |
| 8 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $52,180 | 1,360 |
| 9 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $52,040 | 1,410 |
| 10 | Wausau, WI | $50,650 | 120 |
| 11 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $50,280 | 1,050 |
| 12 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $50,170 | 3,390 |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Swipe the table sideways to see more columns.
| Metro area | Employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 7,790 | $46,580 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 6,700 | $49,620 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 6,140 | $46,200 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 3,880 | $45,670 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 3,390 | $50,170 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,910 | $48,610 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 2,650 | $44,610 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 2,590 | $47,400 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 2,170 | $42,890 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 2,100 | $47,700 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 1,900 | $42,950 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 1,770 | $44,810 |
Visa filings for this occupation
Wages employers offered on Department of Labor filings
- PERM green card (FY 2026 through Q3)8 certified filingsMedian offered wage $48,464
Printing Press Operators pay by state
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Puerto Rico
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Related occupations
Frequently asked questions
- How much do printing press operators make?
- The median wage for printing press operators in the U.S. is $45,780 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $37,390 and $55,740.
- Which state pays printing press operators the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median wage for this occupation at $116,630 a year.
- What is the job outlook for printing press operators?
- BLS projects employment to decline 8.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 12,100 openings each year on average.
- What education do printing press operators need?
- The typical entry-level education is: high school diploma or equivalent.