Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-5111

Prepress Technicians and Workers

Median pay sits 35% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Power Distributors and Dispatchers, Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Prepress Technicians and Workers: Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($107K) , Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers ($63K) , Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers ($68K) , Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers ($65K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Prepress Technicians and Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-5111 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece
  2. 2. Proofread and perform quality control of text and images
  3. 3. Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced
  4. 4. Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer
  5. 5. Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film
  6. 6. Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment
  7. 7. Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate
  8. 8. Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths
  9. 9. Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and m…
  10. 10. Examine unexposed photographic plates to detect flaws or foreign particles prior to printing
  11. 11. Examine photographic images for obvious imperfections prior to plate making
  12. 12. Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs

Prepress Technicians and Workers: O*NET ranks Active Listening first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-5111 - lead skill Active Listening at 3.1 ; lead knowledge Computers and Electronics. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Active Listening 3.1
  2. 2. Speaking 3.1
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.1
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Time Management 3.1
  6. 6. Reading Comprehension 3.0
  7. 7. Coordination 3.0
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Computers and Electronics 4.0
  2. 2. English Language 3.6
  3. 3. Design 3.5
  4. 4. Mathematics 3.4
  5. 5. Production and Processing 3.3
  6. 6. Customer and Personal Service 3.2
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-35%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $48,690/yr
$49K
National median
↓ -15%
Growth 2024-2034
2,800
Annual openings
23,840
Estimated US jobs
Power Distributors and Dispatchers
Highest-pay peer · $107K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Prepress Technicians and Workers

1. Maryland $60,770
2. Oregon $54,360
3. District of Columbia $100,980
4. New Jersey $56,840
5. Vermont $55,880
6. Massachusetts $57,250
7. Arkansas $52,800
8. Nevada $55,680
9. California $53,860
10. Washington $53,770

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Power Distributors and Dispatchers $106,730
  2. 2. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750
  3. 3. Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers $68,120
  4. 4. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  5. 5. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  6. 6. Layout Workers, Metal and Plastic $63,870

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Prepress Technicians and Workers sits 35% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $48,690.

Employment Projections expect -15% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Maryland at $60,770. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Power Distributors and Dispatchers at $106,730. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Prepress Technicians and Workers pay-rank #43 in Production Occupations

Prepress Technicians and Workers sits at pay-rank #43 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third of the major-group median table. ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.

Other mid-table titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

Prepress Technicians and Workers pays 35% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Prepress Technicians and Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-5111

Maryland · top state for Prepress Technicians and Workers

$61K published median

Oregon · #2 state pay

$54K · behind Maryland

Power Distributors and Dispatchers

Highest-pay peer vs Prepress Technicians and Workers · $107K

Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers

Lower-pay peer beside Prepress Technicians and Workers · $63K

Compare Prepress Technicians and Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Prepress Technicians and Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Prepress Technicians and Workers

Against another occupation

Power Distributors and Dispatchers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Prepress Technicians and Workers mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #43 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Heat Treating Equipment Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic ($49K), Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers ($49K), Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($49K), Mixing and Blending Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($49K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do prepress technicians and workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Prepress Technicians and Workers. Leading ones include: Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece; Proofread and perform quality control of text and images; Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced; Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for prepress technicians and workers? ▼
For SOC 51-5111, O*NET importance scores lead with Active Listening (3.1), Speaking (3.1), Critical Thinking (3.1), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Computers and Electronics, English Language, Design. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Prepress Technicians and Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $48,690 as the national median for Prepress Technicians and Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $35,810 to $66,080. Beside Power Distributors and Dispatchers ($106,730), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Prepress Technicians and Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Prepress Technicians and Workers is -15%. Projected annual openings: about 2,800. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Prepress Technicians and Workers? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Prepress Technicians and Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Prepress Technicians and Workers? ▼
Maryland ($60,770), Oregon ($54,360), District of Columbia ($100,980) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Prepress Technicians and Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-5111. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Prepress Technicians and Workers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics