Printing Press Operators Salary
Production Occupations · 144K employed in the U.S.
Median annual
$45,780
Median hourly
$22
Average annual
$47,360
Typical range
$33,330–$63,520
Pay distribution
10th to 90th percentile, with the median marked.
What this role pays
The median annual salary for Printing Press Operators is $45,780 as of May 2025, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. That works out to about $22 an hour at a full-time schedule.
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses..
Most earn between $33,330 and $63,520 a year. There are roughly 144K people employed as printing press operators in the United States. Use the state and metro pages below to see how pay changes by location, and the calculator to convert any hourly or annual figure.
Salary calculator
Convert your pay and see where it lands for Printing Press Operators.
- Hourly
- $22.01
- Daily
- $176
- Weekly
- $880
- Bi-weekly
- $1,761
- Monthly
- $3,815
- Annual
- $45,780
$45,780 a year is around the 50th percentile for Printing Press Operatorss. The median is $45,780.
Highest-paying states
Median annual wage by state.
- 1District of Columbia$116,630
- 2Massachusetts$53,050
- 3New Jersey$50,430
- 4Washington$49,800
- 5Oregon$48,760
- 6Minnesota$48,560
- 7New Hampshire$48,410
- 8Kentucky$48,000
- 9Colorado$47,860
- 10New York$47,860
- 11Maryland$47,840
- 12Maine$47,430
Top-paying metro areas
Median annual wage by metro area.
- 1Harrisonburg, VA$64,180
- 2Rochester, MN$59,200
- 3Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA$58,850
- 4Oshkosh-Neenah, WI$58,750
- 5Fort Smith, AR-OK$56,350
- 6Trenton-Princeton, NJ$55,920
- 7Springfield, MA$55,740
- 8Manchester-Nashua, NH$54,230
- 9Worcester, MA$53,210
- 10Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$52,180
- 11Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$52,040
- 12Wichita Falls, TX$51,510
Related job titles
Employers advertise Printing Press Operators roles under these titles.
Related occupations
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$50,270
- Prepress Technicians and Workers$48,690
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators$40,610
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$46,330
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders$46,460
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers$42,290
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders$46,570
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic$52,800
What a Printing Press Operators does
- 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.
- Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
- Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls.
- Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
- Secure printing plates to printing units and adjust tolerances.
- Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a Printing Press Operators make?
- The median annual wage for Printing Press Operators is $45,780 ($22 per hour). Pay ranges from about $33,330 at the 10th percentile to $63,520 at the 90th percentile.
- What is the average salary for a Printing Press Operators?
- The average (mean) annual salary is $47,360, which is higher than the median because a small number of high earners pull the average up.
- Which state pays Printing Press Operatorss the most?
- District of Columbia has the highest median annual wage for this occupation at $116,630.
- Is Printing Press Operators a growing occupation?
- BLS employment data for May 2025 counts about 144K people in this occupation. Projected growth is published separately in the BLS Employment Projections program.
- What does a Printing Press Operators do?
- 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..