Printing Press Operators Career, Salary and Skills
Printing Press Operators have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $45,780 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 144,260. Wage data is published for 355 locations.
Occupation description
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
O*NET code
51-5112.00
Job zone
2
Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
National salary and employment
Median annual
$45,780
Hourly median
$22.01
Employment
144,260
Data year
2025
National salary distribution
Top skills
| Skill | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.88 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Operation and Control | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Monitoring | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Troubleshooting | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.12 | 3.12 |
Typical tasks
- 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.
- Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
Technology
- AABACH Graphic Systems DIGRA
- Adobe Acrobat
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe LifeCycle Production Print ES3
- Adobe PageMaker
- Adobe Photoshop
- Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
- Electronics for Imaging EFI Monarch
- Electronics for Imaging EFI Pace
- Email software
- Enfocus PitStop Pro
- Graphics software
- Image editing software
Printing Press Operators salary by location
Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.
- Printing Press Operators Salary in CAMedian $46,110 · Employment 12,320
- Printing Press Operators Salary in ILMedian $46,260 · Employment 9,550
- Printing Press Operators Salary in TXMedian $42,550 · Employment 9,110
- Printing Press Operators Salary in WIMedian $47,330 · Employment 8,120
- Printing Press Operators Salary in Chicago, ILMedian $46,580 · Employment 7,790
- Printing Press Operators Salary in OHMedian $45,760 · Employment 7,500
- Printing Press Operators Salary in PAMedian $47,010 · Employment 7,150
- Printing Press Operators Salary in FLMedian $41,180 · Employment 7,060
- Printing Press Operators Salary in NYMedian $47,860 · Employment 6,700
- Printing Press Operators Salary in New York, NYMedian $49,620 · Employment 6,700
- Printing Press Operators Salary in Los Angeles, CAMedian $46,200 · Employment 6,140
- Printing Press Operators Salary in MIMedian $45,280 · Employment 5,110
Related careers
- Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticNational median $50,620
- Industrial Machinery MechanicsNational median $64,520
- Textile Bleaching and Dyeing Machine Operators and TendersNational median $38,180
- Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticNational median $46,550
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and PlasticNational median $47,720
- Machine Feeders and OffbearersNational median $41,220
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and TendersNational median $45,760
- Office Machine Operators, Except ComputerNational median $40,960
Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.