51
Printing Press Operators 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 Printing Press Operators against similar careers and make data-driven decisions.
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13
| soc | 51-5112 |
| title | Printing Press Operators |
| onet code | 51-5112.00 |
| description | Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses. |
| job zone | 2 |
| major group | 51 |
| tot emp | 145,110 |
| a mean | 46,620 |
| a median | 45,160 |
| a pct10 | 31,450 |
| a pct25 | 36,970 |
| a pct75 | 54,340 |
| a pct90 | 63,060 |
| h mean | 22 |
| h median | 21 |
The day-to-day work of a printing press operators typically centers on start presses and pull proofs to check for ink coverage and density, alignment, and registration. Every task listed below is classified as Core in O*NET — they collectively define the role. 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 Quality Control Analysis, Operations Monitoring, and Monitoring. Across the top 10 skills, the average O*NET importance score is 3.27 out of 5 — moderately weighted for this role. Importance reflects how essential each skill is for adequate job performance.
Among working printing press operators, the most common entry qualification is a High School Diploma (73.2%). Bachelor's-degree-or-higher credentials are reported by 0% 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 $115,770 and lowest in Alabama at $34,980 — a 3.3× spread. The top five states (District of Columbia, New Jersey, Minnesota, Maryland, Massachusetts) average $63,150. 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 | $115,770 | $105,570 | $60,420 | $135,570 | 350 |
| New Jersey | $51,760 | $55,230 | $38,950 | $75,120 | 3,840 |
| Minnesota | $49,540 | $52,370 | $35,270 | $73,450 | 4,800 |
| Maryland | $49,450 | $50,740 | $35,360 | $67,620 | 1,280 |
| Massachusetts | $49,230 | $52,620 | $37,500 | $69,560 | 2,340 |
| Washington | $49,230 | $51,510 | $38,200 | $68,020 | 2,060 |
| Arkansas | $48,310 | $46,420 | $29,270 | $61,170 | 1,450 |
| Rhode Island | $48,310 | $53,090 | $38,530 | $74,660 | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $47,970 | $49,890 | $36,090 | $64,520 | 6,480 |
| Oregon | $47,900 | $49,880 | $36,980 | $62,200 | 1,390 |
| New Hampshire | $47,320 | $49,380 | $34,380 | $65,770 | 770 |
| Colorado | $47,270 | $48,140 | $36,200 | $63,810 | 1,950 |
| Illinois | $47,210 | $49,070 | $30,120 | $75,680 | 10,060 |
| Vermont | $46,820 | $50,340 | $35,600 | $72,420 | 210 |
| New York | $46,600 | $50,200 | $35,000 | $70,900 | 7,200 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,560 | $46,780 | $30,770 | $63,290 | 6,770 |
| California | $46,020 | $49,220 | $36,350 | $64,060 | 11,990 |
| Delaware | $45,910 | $48,230 | $36,400 | $62,570 | 220 |
| Michigan | $45,870 | $47,300 | $34,510 | $63,100 | 4,320 |
| Indiana | $45,740 | $46,670 | $32,150 | $60,800 | 5,230 |
| Kentucky | $45,530 | $45,440 | $30,410 | $59,850 | 2,320 |
| Ohio | $45,270 | $45,160 | $31,450 | $59,970 | 7,650 |
| Maine | $44,560 | $45,700 | $34,920 | $57,530 | 380 |
| Alaska | $44,500 | $46,840 | $26,180 | $65,140 | 130 |
| Connecticut | $43,930 | $46,680 | $32,730 | $63,370 | 1,580 |
| Missouri | $43,720 | $45,580 | $29,610 | $63,330 | 3,810 |
| North Carolina | $43,090 | $44,680 | $29,650 | $62,070 | 3,950 |
| Georgia | $42,800 | $43,980 | $29,670 | $60,210 | 4,640 |
| Virginia | $42,790 | $46,210 | $30,740 | $64,990 | 2,780 |
| South Dakota | $42,570 | $43,930 | $32,760 | $61,840 | 470 |
| Arizona | $41,900 | $43,760 | $34,410 | $58,720 | 2,890 |
| West Virginia | $41,650 | $44,140 | $29,500 | $63,220 | 390 |
| Wyoming | $41,410 | $41,490 | $25,270 | $56,490 | 120 |
| Nevada | $41,260 | $44,090 | $35,160 | $61,000 | 1,530 |
| Tennessee | $41,170 | $43,270 | $30,620 | $58,090 | 3,590 |
| Nebraska | $40,970 | $44,750 | $34,250 | $60,730 | 2,240 |
| Kansas | $40,580 | $42,530 | $27,420 | $58,620 | 2,660 |
| Texas | $40,000 | $44,580 | $28,340 | $61,750 | 9,510 |
| Utah | $39,740 | $43,780 | $30,530 | $61,780 | 1,770 |
| Iowa | $39,660 | $42,020 | $29,950 | $56,990 | 2,240 |
| Mississippi | $38,980 | $42,320 | $22,880 | $62,590 | 650 |
| Florida | $38,710 | $41,210 | $29,920 | $56,440 | 7,600 |
| Montana | $38,640 | $40,960 | $33,280 | $49,420 | 340 |
| North Dakota | $38,540 | $40,430 | $29,270 | $56,620 | 330 |
| Hawaii | $38,390 | $40,390 | $29,120 | $52,510 | 510 |
| South Carolina | $38,080 | $40,650 | $27,240 | $59,790 | 2,160 |
| Idaho | $37,310 | $39,880 | $27,680 | $54,790 | 530 |
| Louisiana | $36,810 | $37,630 | $22,950 | $50,240 | 800 |
| New Mexico | $35,380 | $39,060 | $29,510 | $57,990 | 260 |
| Oklahoma | $35,270 | $36,480 | $23,770 | $49,570 | 1,350 |
| Alabama | $34,980 | $37,670 | $23,300 | $54,080 | 2,760 |
Recruiters and job boards use several alternate titles for printing press operators. Knowing these variants widens your job search — listings for Aniline Press Worker or Back Up Machine Operator frequently describe the same role. The list below is a sample of the most common industry variants.
This data helps you understand how Printing Press Operators 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 Printing Press Operators
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.
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