SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 51-5112.
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 | $33,330 | $2,778 | $641 | $16.03 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $37,390 | $3,116 | $719 | $17.98 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $45,780 | $3,815 | $880 | $22.01 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $55,740 | $4,645 | $1,072 | $26.80 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $63,520 | $5,293 | $1,222 | $30.54 |
* 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 Printing Press Operators is $45,780, which is 10% lower. Among the 105 occupations of the field Production, it ranks number 65 by median pay. With 144,260 jobs, it makes up about 9.3 of every 10,000 jobs in the country.
Printing Press Operators pay by state
The highest median pay was in District of Columbia ($116,630), Massachusetts ($53,050) and New Jersey ($50,430). The lowest was in Puerto Rico ($26,100), Guam ($32,240) and Alabama ($36,670). The most jobs were in California (12,320), Illinois (9,550) and Texas (9,110). The occupation is most concentrated in Wisconsin, where its share of all jobs is 3.0 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 350 | $116,630 | $104,930 | $56.07 |
| Massachusetts | 2,110 | $53,050 | $55,430 | $25.51 |
| New Jersey | 4,180 | $50,430 | $55,600 | $24.25 |
| Washington | 2,310 | $49,800 | $53,310 | $23.94 |
| Oregon | 1,330 | $48,760 | $50,200 | $23.44 |
| Minnesota | 4,960 | $48,560 | $52,390 | $23.35 |
| New Hampshire | 680 | $48,410 | $50,280 | $23.27 |
| Kentucky | 2,470 | $48,000 | $49,510 | $23.08 |
| Colorado | 1,830 | $47,860 | $49,120 | $23.01 |
| New York | 6,700 | $47,860 | $50,990 | $23.01 |
| Maryland | 1,250 | $47,840 | $50,180 | $23.00 |
| Maine | 300 | $47,430 | $48,770 | $22.80 |
| Wisconsin | 8,120 | $47,330 | $50,220 | $22.76 |
| Pennsylvania | 7,150 | $47,010 | $47,940 | $22.60 |
| Arkansas | 1,760 | $46,470 | $47,640 | $22.34 |
| Alaska | 170 | $46,460 | $47,750 | $22.34 |
| Vermont | 190 | $46,460 | $49,950 | $22.34 |
| Illinois | 9,550 | $46,260 | $48,590 | $22.24 |
| Missouri | 3,460 | $46,130 | $47,560 | $22.18 |
| California | 12,320 | $46,110 | $48,370 | $22.17 |
| Ohio | 7,500 | $45,760 | $46,210 | $22.00 |
| Connecticut | 1,610 | $45,670 | $48,880 | $21.96 |
| North Carolina | 3,910 | $45,630 | $45,840 | $21.94 |
| Hawaii | 350 | $45,390 | $46,610 | $21.82 |
| Rhode Island | 510 | $45,380 | $50,680 | $21.82 |
| Michigan | 5,110 | $45,280 | $46,230 | $21.77 |
| Indiana | 4,820 | $45,230 | $46,860 | $21.74 |
| South Dakota | 460 | $44,930 | $46,110 | $21.60 |
| Delaware | 210 | $44,600 | $45,140 | $21.44 |
| Virginia | 3,210 | $44,020 | $45,650 | $21.16 |
| Nevada | 1,360 | $43,500 | $46,020 | $20.91 |
| Tennessee | 3,510 | $43,160 | $43,810 | $20.75 |
| Arizona | 2,400 | $42,950 | $44,830 | $20.65 |
| Texas | 9,110 | $42,550 | $45,430 | $20.46 |
| Montana | 300 | $42,220 | $42,660 | $20.30 |
| Nebraska | 2,140 | $42,070 | $44,860 | $20.23 |
| Kansas | 2,640 | $41,890 | $42,350 | $20.14 |
| Georgia | 4,220 | $41,520 | $43,300 | $19.96 |
| West Virginia | 470 | $41,200 | $42,710 | $19.81 |
| Florida | 7,060 | $41,180 | $42,840 | $19.80 |
| Utah | 1,970 | $41,030 | $43,830 | $19.72 |
| Iowa | 2,070 | $40,790 | $42,860 | $19.61 |
| Wyoming | 90 | $40,760 | $41,890 | $19.60 |
| South Carolina | 2,100 | $40,470 | $42,850 | $19.46 |
| Idaho | 610 | $38,650 | $40,810 | $18.58 |
| Mississippi | 670 | $38,400 | $42,380 | $18.46 |
| North Dakota | 270 | $37,850 | $41,960 | $18.20 |
| Louisiana | 870 | $37,650 | $40,130 | $18.10 |
| New Mexico | 250 | $37,110 | $41,400 | $17.84 |
| Oklahoma | 1,140 | $36,760 | $38,200 | $17.67 |
| Alabama | 2,160 | $36,670 | $38,700 | $17.63 |
| Guam | 100 | $32,240 | $31,160 | $15.50 |
| Puerto Rico | 520 | $26,100 | $31,210 | $12.55 |
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
- Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic$46,170 a year
- Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other$45,950 a year
- Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers$45,850 a year
- Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$45,760 a year
- Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders$44,810 a year
- Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators$44,650 a year
Common questions
How much do Printing Press Operators earn in the United States?
The median pay was $45,780 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $33,330 and the highest-paid 10% more than $63,520.
How many people work as Printing Press Operators?
About 144,260 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.