CDCareer Decision

Prepress Technicians and Workers Salary in Washington, DC

In the 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS dataset, Prepress Technicians and Workers in Washington, DC have a median annual salary of $70,670, with 490 recorded jobs in this area. Recorded earnings range from $42,840 at the 10th percentile to $100,980 at the 90th percentile.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · Data year: 2025 · Last updated: 2026-09-22

Salary overview

Median annual salary

$70,670

Data year: 2025

Hourly median

$33.98

Employment

490

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS

Salary distribution

$42,840
10th
$48,650
25th
$70,670
Median
$100,980
75th
$100,980
90th

Local compared with national

Washington, DC

$70,670

Median annual · 2025

United States

$48,690

Median annual · 2025

The Washington, DC median is 45.1% above the national median in the available dataset (a difference of $21,980).

Top skills

  1. 1.Active ListeningImportance 3.1
  2. 2.SpeakingImportance 3.1
  3. 3.Critical ThinkingImportance 3.1
  4. 4.MonitoringImportance 3.1
  5. 5.Time ManagementImportance 3.1
  6. 6.Reading ComprehensionImportance 3.0
  7. 7.CoordinationImportance 3.0
  8. 8.Complex Problem SolvingImportance 3.0
  9. 9.Operations MonitoringImportance 3.0
  10. 10.Judgment and Decision MakingImportance 3.0
  11. 11.WritingImportance 2.9
  12. 12.Active LearningImportance 2.9

Career information

Education and experience

Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
Experience
Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years
Job zone
3

Technology used

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Director
  • Adobe FrameMaker
  • Adobe FreeHand MX
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe LifeCycle Enterprise Suite
  • Adobe PageMaker
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite
  • Corel Painter
  • Esko ArtPro
  • File transfer protocol FTP software
  • Global Graphics Software Harlequin

Common tasks

  • Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece.
  • Proofread and perform quality control of text and images.
  • Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
  • Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer.
  • Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
  • Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
  • Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.
  • Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
  • Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths.
  • Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes.

Related careers

Occupations recorded as related in the dataset. A relationship does not imply a guaranteed transition.

Prepress Technicians and Workers salary in other locations

Other occupations in Washington, DC