Printing Press Operators Salary in the United States
The median annual wage for printing press operators in the U.S. is $45,780 ($22.01 per hour), according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program, May 2025 estimates.
- Median annual wage
- $45,780
- Mean annual wage
- $47,360
- Median hourly wage
- $22.01
- Employment
- 144,260
144,260 employed
Wage percentiles
| Percentile | Annual wage | Hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $33,330 | $16.03 |
| 25th percentile | $37,390 | $17.98 |
| Median (50th) | $45,780 | $22.01 |
| 75th percentile | $55,740 | $26.80 |
| 90th percentile | $63,520 | $30.54 |
Highest-paying states for printing press operators
| State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $116,630 | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $53,050 | 2,110 |
| New Jersey | $50,430 | 4,180 |
| Washington | $49,800 | 2,310 |
| Oregon | $48,760 | 1,330 |
| Minnesota | $48,560 | 4,960 |
| New Hampshire | $48,410 | 680 |
| Kentucky | $48,000 | 2,470 |
| Colorado | $47,860 | 1,830 |
| New York | $47,860 | 6,700 |
Lowest-paying states
- Alabama: $36,670 median annual wage
- Oklahoma: $36,760 median annual wage
- New Mexico: $37,110 median annual wage
- Louisiana: $37,650 median annual wage
- North Dakota: $37,850 median annual wage
About this occupation
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
Typical tasks
- Adjust digital files to alter print elements, such as fonts, graphics, or color separations.
- Download completed jobs to archive media so that questions can be answered or jobs replicated.
- Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required.
- Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
- Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
- Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
Education of the current workforce — typical entry: High school diploma or equivalent
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| Less than high school diploma | 12.3% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 42.2% |
| Some college, no degree | 22.9% |
| Associate's degree | 9.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 11.9% |
| Master's degree | 1.2% |
| Doctoral or professional degree | 0.2% |
Occupation profile data from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Related occupations
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650
- First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers$74,450
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers$53,750
- Packaging and Filling Machine Operators and Tenders$43,220
- Machinists$58,750
- Production Workers, All Other$40,110
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850
About this data
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — data period May 2025, retrieved August 13, 2026.
- CareerOneStop Occupation Profiles — data period 2026-08, retrieved August 14, 2026.
Figures are shown exactly as published by the source or derived by the documented formulas on our methodology page. Where a source suppresses an estimate, we show “—” rather than a substitute value.