51
Prepress Technicians and Workers is a notable career in the 51 category. This page provides verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0 (2024), helping you compare Prepress Technicians and Workers against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
Education Administrators, All Other
11
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11
Managers, All Other
11
Buyers and Purchasing Agents
13
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
13
| soc | 51-5111 |
| title | Prepress Technicians and Workers |
| onet code | 51-5111.00 |
| description | 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. |
| job zone | 3 |
| major group | 51 |
| tot emp | 23,070 |
| a mean | 49,130 |
| a median | 47,300 |
| a pct10 | 34,270 |
| a pct25 | 39,000 |
| a pct75 | 57,530 |
| a pct90 | 65,530 |
| h mean | 23 |
| h median | 22 |
The day-to-day work of a prepress technicians and workers typically centers on generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece. 7 of these 8 tasks are Core O*NET duties; the remainder are common supplemental work. Task descriptions below are quoted from the U.S. Department of Labor's O*NET 29.0 occupation profile.
Workers in this occupation rely most on Speaking, Active Listening, and Critical Thinking. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.06 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working prepress technicians and workers, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (39.3%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 5% of incumbents. Most workers enter without a four-year degree, making this a relatively accessible career path.
Median annual pay is highest in District of Columbia at $98,780 and lowest in Oklahoma at $22,170 — a 4.5× spread. The top five states (District of Columbia, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Oregon) average $66,306. Figures reflect BLS OEWS May 2024 state-level wage estimates; percentiles shown are for full-time wage-earners in each state.
| State | Median | Mean | 10th % | 90th % | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $98,780 | $99,100 | $72,110 | $116,020 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $59,210 | $59,960 | $37,860 | $81,010 | 520 |
| Delaware | $58,470 | $53,930 | $32,970 | $64,220 | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $57,930 | $59,220 | $44,800 | $79,530 | 550 |
| Oregon | $57,140 | $56,340 | $47,840 | $69,150 | 190 |
| Nevada | $56,410 | $54,640 | $37,250 | $64,300 | 150 |
| Illinois | $55,490 | $54,860 | $37,080 | $75,870 | 1,060 |
| Colorado | $51,090 | $54,260 | $47,310 | $68,270 | 210 |
| Washington | $50,810 | $51,920 | $37,270 | $64,710 | 440 |
| Maryland | $50,690 | $52,410 | $36,330 | $70,410 | 350 |
| California | $49,850 | $53,670 | $38,070 | $76,050 | 2,180 |
| Vermont | $49,430 | $52,950 | $43,140 | $65,780 | 40 |
| North Carolina | $49,210 | $49,150 | $35,940 | $60,410 | 540 |
| Georgia | $48,630 | $49,050 | $33,640 | $63,070 | 430 |
| New York | $48,480 | $51,910 | $35,910 | $71,660 | 1,130 |
| Michigan | $48,250 | $48,810 | $36,000 | $61,520 | 600 |
| Montana | $48,210 | $47,640 | $34,890 | $53,760 | 40 |
| Missouri | $48,070 | $48,300 | $35,360 | $65,090 | 450 |
| Arizona | $47,840 | $49,450 | $34,340 | $63,930 | 130 |
| Virginia | $47,730 | $49,730 | $34,520 | $63,810 | 460 |
| Indiana | $47,450 | $48,190 | $35,480 | $64,030 | 790 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,990 | $48,240 | $33,700 | $66,240 | 730 |
| Ohio | $46,880 | $48,090 | $36,070 | $61,810 | 1,040 |
| New Hampshire | $46,770 | $48,070 | $36,210 | $59,320 | 130 |
| Wisconsin | $46,600 | $47,930 | $35,460 | $62,470 | 1,420 |
| Tennessee | $46,560 | $45,960 | $31,720 | $59,650 | 690 |
| Maine | $46,350 | $48,730 | $40,180 | $55,640 | 70 |
| Idaho | $46,230 | $45,400 | $37,750 | $53,550 | 80 |
| Florida | $46,050 | $45,500 | $28,630 | $63,280 | 1,070 |
| Kansas | $45,900 | $47,130 | $34,200 | $62,540 | 750 |
| Iowa | $45,850 | $46,900 | $31,060 | $61,760 | 280 |
| Minnesota | $45,520 | $47,800 | $34,270 | $63,660 | 1,340 |
| Kentucky | $44,850 | $44,660 | $36,150 | $56,920 | 890 |
| South Carolina | $44,800 | $43,400 | $29,570 | $57,310 | 240 |
| Connecticut | $44,740 | $47,090 | $33,670 | $70,190 | 500 |
| Rhode Island | $44,130 | $53,580 | $40,470 | $79,930 | — |
| Arkansas | $43,520 | $46,770 | $34,150 | $58,330 | 180 |
| Texas | $40,800 | $42,960 | $27,720 | $60,980 | 1,690 |
| Nebraska | $39,620 | $42,820 | $39,590 | $50,610 | — |
| Louisiana | $38,030 | $37,700 | $27,910 | $44,740 | 30 |
| Utah | $37,590 | $38,030 | $28,190 | $47,310 | 280 |
| South Dakota | $37,560 | $39,770 | $28,830 | $50,260 | 90 |
| Alabama | $34,980 | $37,240 | $28,420 | $47,820 | 80 |
| West Virginia | $34,320 | $35,890 | $26,920 | $50,500 | 60 |
| Mississippi | $33,550 | $35,170 | $26,950 | $47,480 | 60 |
| Oklahoma | $22,170 | $31,510 | $21,640 | $49,450 | 110 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for prepress technicians and workers. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Ad Compositor or Ad Setter frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Prepress Technicians and Workers compares to others in the 51 category. Use it to make informed decisions based on verified data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0.
careers with the closest data values to Prepress Technicians and Workers
The CertifyWize editorial team aggregates and verifies careers data from BLS OEWS 2024 + O*NET 29.0. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.
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