SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Bind books and other publications or finish printed products by hand or machine. May set up binding and finishing machines.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-5113.
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 | $32,220 | $2,685 | $620 | $15.49 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $36,910 | $3,076 | $710 | $17.75 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $42,290 | $3,524 | $813 | $20.33 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $49,130 | $4,094 | $945 | $23.62 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $59,150 | $4,929 | $1,138 | $28.44 |
* 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 Print Binding and Finishing Workers is $42,290, which is 17% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 80 by median pay. With 33,180 jobs, it makes up about 2.1 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Print Binding and Finishing Workers pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($108,080), Mississippi ($91,850) and Alaska ($57,200). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($27,460), New Mexico ($29,380) and Montana ($36,220). The most jobs were in Wisconsin (3,560), Texas (1,820) and Minnesota (1,710). The occupation is most concentrated in Wisconsin, where its share of all jobs is 5.7 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 200 | $108,080 | $100,910 | $51.96 |
| Mississippi | 110 | $91,850 | $79,910 | $44.16 |
| Alaska | 30 | $57,200 | $48,450 | $27.50 |
| Vermont | 80 | $48,930 | $49,990 | $23.53 |
| New Hampshire | 140 | $48,850 | $49,860 | $23.49 |
| North Dakota | 80 | $48,760 | $47,180 | $23.44 |
| Minnesota | 1,710 | $48,390 | $50,310 | $23.26 |
| Maine | 180 | $48,230 | $47,900 | $23.19 |
| Illinois | 1,540 | $47,880 | $46,640 | $23.02 |
| Connecticut | 490 | $47,750 | $47,930 | $22.96 |
| Massachusetts | 750 | $46,630 | $46,540 | $22.42 |
| New Jersey | 1,640 | $46,600 | $46,780 | $22.41 |
| Oregon | 240 | $46,240 | $46,470 | $22.23 |
| Colorado | 370 | $45,780 | $46,990 | $22.01 |
| California | 1,590 | $45,390 | $46,390 | $21.82 |
| Washington | 460 | $45,300 | $48,400 | $21.78 |
| Maryland | 560 | $45,170 | $45,080 | $21.72 |
| Rhode Island | 40 | $45,050 | $50,520 | $21.66 |
| New York | 1,150 | $44,210 | $45,390 | $21.26 |
| Ohio | 1,700 | $43,680 | $43,160 | $21.00 |
| Wisconsin | 3,560 | $43,400 | $44,340 | $20.87 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,640 | $43,010 | $44,050 | $20.68 |
| Virginia | 980 | $42,780 | $44,320 | $20.57 |
| South Dakota | 110 | $41,350 | $42,330 | $19.88 |
| West Virginia | 280 | $41,340 | $46,330 | $19.88 |
| Hawaii | 80 | $41,050 | $39,430 | $19.74 |
| Arkansas | 200 | $41,040 | $44,390 | $19.73 |
| South Carolina | 340 | $40,820 | $40,960 | $19.63 |
| Michigan | 1,320 | $40,460 | $42,770 | $19.45 |
| Idaho | 30 | $40,200 | $36,730 | $19.33 |
| Nevada | 350 | $40,200 | $43,070 | $19.33 |
| Delaware | 40 | $40,080 | $43,850 | $19.27 |
| Arizona | 240 | $39,740 | $43,060 | $19.11 |
| Kentucky | 410 | $39,620 | $41,620 | $19.05 |
| North Carolina | 1,070 | $39,580 | $42,380 | $19.03 |
| Utah | 690 | $39,570 | $42,500 | $19.03 |
| Georgia | 790 | $39,310 | $41,760 | $18.90 |
| Alabama | 440 | $39,270 | $37,780 | $18.88 |
| Iowa | 330 | $38,790 | $42,410 | $18.65 |
| Florida | 1,320 | $38,730 | $41,510 | $18.62 |
| Indiana | 970 | $38,730 | $41,320 | $18.62 |
| Missouri | 1,010 | $38,570 | $41,760 | $18.54 |
| Oklahoma | 140 | $37,770 | $35,900 | $18.16 |
| Kansas | 660 | $37,470 | $38,210 | $18.01 |
| Texas | 1,820 | $37,310 | $41,840 | $17.94 |
| Tennessee | 730 | $36,960 | $39,160 | $17.77 |
| Nebraska | 210 | $36,800 | $39,590 | $17.69 |
| Louisiana | 180 | $36,230 | $37,970 | $17.42 |
| Montana | 90 | $36,220 | $39,570 | $17.41 |
| New Mexico | 80 | $29,380 | $32,880 | $14.12 |
| Puerto Rico | 300 | $27,460 | $28,200 | $13.20 |
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
- Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood$42,770 a year
- Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand$42,660 a year
- Food Batchmakers$42,290 a year
- Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers$41,640 a year
- Painting, Coating, and Decorating Workers$41,600 a year
- Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders$41,590 a year
Common questions
How much do Print Binding and Finishing Workers earn in the United States?
The median pay was $42,290 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $32,220 and the highest-paid 10% more than $59,150.
How many people work as Print Binding and Finishing Workers?
About 33,180 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.