SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Format and proof text and images submitted by designers and clients into finished pages that can be printed. Includes digital and photo typesetting. May produce printing plates.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-5111.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $35,810 | $2,984 | $689 | $17.22 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $40,930 | $3,411 | $787 | $19.68 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $48,690 | $4,058 | $936 | $23.41 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $58,580 | $4,882 | $1,127 | $28.16 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $66,080 | $5,507 | $1,271 | $31.77 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Prepress Technicians and Workers is $48,690, which is 4% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 43 by median pay. With 23,840 jobs, it makes up about 1.5 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Prepress Technicians and Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($100,980), Maryland ($60,770) and Massachusetts ($57,250). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($33,030), Alabama ($35,020) and West Virginia ($35,320). The most jobs were in Minnesota (2,880), Texas (2,320) and California (2,020). The occupation is most concentrated in Minnesota, where its share of all jobs is 6.4 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 180 | $100,980 | $101,710 | $48.55 |
| Maryland | 480 | $60,770 | $57,600 | $29.22 |
| Massachusetts | 460 | $57,250 | $58,340 | $27.53 |
| New Jersey | 880 | $56,840 | $59,660 | $27.33 |
| Vermont | 40 | $55,880 | $56,470 | $26.86 |
| Nevada | 130 | $55,680 | $53,220 | $26.77 |
| Oregon | 230 | $54,360 | $53,660 | $26.14 |
| California | 2,020 | $53,860 | $55,580 | $25.89 |
| Washington | 380 | $53,770 | $53,910 | $25.85 |
| Arkansas | 160 | $52,800 | $52,550 | $25.39 |
| New York | 1,110 | $52,420 | $53,260 | $25.20 |
| Montana | 40 | $51,910 | $50,490 | $24.96 |
| Colorado | 150 | $51,730 | $54,380 | $24.87 |
| Georgia | 320 | $50,280 | $51,930 | $24.17 |
| North Carolina | 600 | $49,760 | $51,170 | $23.92 |
| Illinois | 680 | $49,450 | $54,520 | $23.78 |
| Minnesota | 2,880 | $49,130 | $52,750 | $23.62 |
| Pennsylvania | 910 | $49,100 | $50,060 | $23.61 |
| Virginia | 330 | $49,100 | $48,740 | $23.61 |
| Indiana | 670 | $49,050 | $50,250 | $23.58 |
| Connecticut | 430 | $48,780 | $55,580 | $23.45 |
| New Hampshire | 120 | $48,580 | $47,880 | $23.36 |
| Wisconsin | 1,160 | $48,410 | $51,850 | $23.28 |
| Ohio | 1,070 | $47,810 | $48,280 | $22.99 |
| Tennessee | 640 | $47,790 | $47,100 | $22.97 |
| Iowa | 210 | $47,770 | $48,400 | $22.97 |
| Maine | 50 | $47,350 | $50,490 | $22.76 |
| Idaho | 50 | $47,220 | $45,300 | $22.70 |
| Michigan | 540 | $46,960 | $49,360 | $22.58 |
| South Dakota | 50 | $46,370 | $44,980 | $22.29 |
| Rhode Island | not published | $45,930 | $62,540 | $22.08 |
| South Carolina | 200 | $45,900 | $44,640 | $22.07 |
| Missouri | 510 | $45,860 | $45,620 | $22.05 |
| Kentucky | 1,130 | $45,830 | $46,740 | $22.03 |
| Oklahoma | 80 | $45,730 | $42,470 | $21.99 |
| Florida | 840 | $45,660 | $46,670 | $21.95 |
| Kansas | 520 | $45,290 | $47,480 | $21.77 |
| Utah | 210 | $44,230 | $46,520 | $21.27 |
| Nebraska | 400 | $40,930 | $45,110 | $19.68 |
| New Mexico | 30 | $39,830 | $42,830 | $19.15 |
| Arizona | 210 | $38,830 | $46,360 | $18.67 |
| Texas | 2,320 | $38,410 | $42,140 | $18.47 |
| Louisiana | 90 | $38,060 | $41,740 | $18.30 |
| West Virginia | 50 | $35,320 | $38,160 | $16.98 |
| Alabama | 130 | $35,020 | $35,680 | $16.84 |
| Puerto Rico | 120 | $33,030 | $33,430 | $15.88 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Forging Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$49,030 a year
- Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,990 a year
- Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$48,750 a year
- Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers$48,570 a year
- Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,540 a year
- Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$48,250 a year
Common questions
How much do Prepress Technicians and Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $48,690 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,810 and the highest-paid 10% more than $66,080.
How many people work as Prepress Technicians and Workers?
About 23,840 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.