Desktop Publishers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$55,290
United States, 2025
Employment
3,350
United States, 2025
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.
- O*NET code
- 43-9031.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year
Typical tasks
- Operate desktop publishing software and equipment to design, lay out, and produce camera-ready copy.
- Position text and art elements from a variety of databases in a visually appealing way to design print or web pages, using knowledge of type styles and size and layout patterns.
- Check preliminary and final proofs for errors and make necessary corrections.
- View monitors for visual representation of work in progress and for instructions and feedback throughout process, making modifications as necessary.
- Enter text into computer keyboard and select the size and style of type, column width, and appropriate spacing for printed materials.
- Prepare sample layouts for approval, using computer software.
- Import text and art elements, such as electronic clip art or electronic files from photographs that have been scanned or produced with a digital camera, using computer software.
- Study layout or other design instructions to determine work to be done and sequence of operations.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$35,680
25th percentile
$43,730
75th percentile
$73,840
90th percentile
$96,170
Most important skills
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Judgment and Decision Making3.6
- Active Listening3.5
- Speaking3.5
- Writing3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Time Management3.1
- Active Learning3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Social Perceptiveness3.0
- Management of Personnel Resources2.9
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 11 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
11
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 3.8 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.8 | 3.9 | Not selected | 3.9 |
| Active Listening | 3.5 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Speaking | 3.5 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Writing | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.1 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.6 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.5 | Not selected | 3.5 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
Related careers
Supplemental
National median $40,610
Compare with Desktop PublishersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $83,280 | 60 | 2025 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $82,010 | — | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $80,960 | 60 | 2025 |
| Sacramento, CA | $77,750 | 60 | 2025 |
| CO | $77,750 | — | 2025 |
| Denver, CO | $77,740 | — | 2025 |
| Washington, DC | $72,590 | 120 | 2025 |
| CA | $71,930 | 320 | 2025 |
| MD | $69,820 | 140 | 2025 |
| Dallas, TX | $68,060 | 90 | 2025 |
| Baltimore, MD | $63,030 | 60 | 2025 |
| NJ | $63,020 | 100 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $63,020 | 320 | 2025 |
| SC | $62,320 | 40 | 2025 |
| IL | $61,350 | 150 | 2025 |
| MA | $61,170 | 80 | 2025 |
| Portland, OR | $61,020 | 40 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $58,130 | 120 | 2025 |
| TX | $57,760 | 270 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $57,310 | 50 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Desktop Publishers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.