Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-5113

Print Binding and Finishing Workers

Median pay sits 43% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Nuclear Power Reactor Operators, Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters, Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Chemical Plant and System Operators).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Print Binding and Finishing Workers: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($123K) , Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters ($63K) , Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Chemical Plant and System Operators ($78K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Print Binding and Finishing Workers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-5113 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Examine stitched, collated, bound, or unbound product samples for defects, such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn pages, loose pages…
  2. 2. Read work orders to determine instructions and specifications for machine set-up
  3. 3. Install or adjust bindery machine devices, such as knives, guides, rollers, rounding forms, creasing rams, or clamps, to accommodate shee…
  4. 4. Trim edges of books to size, using cutting machines, book trimming machines, or hand cutters
  5. 5. Stitch or glue endpapers, bindings, backings, or signatures, using sewing machines, glue machines, or glue and brushes
  6. 6. Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions or to determine whether adjustments are needed
  7. 7. Insert book bodies in devices that form back edges of books into convex shapes and produce grooves that facilitate cover attachment
  8. 8. Maintain records, such as daily production records, using specified forms
  9. 9. Lubricate, clean, or make minor repairs to machine parts to keep machines in working condition
  10. 10. Set up or operate bindery machines, such as coil binders, thermal or tape binders, plastic comb binders, or specialty binders
  11. 11. Set up or operate machines that perform binding operations, such as pressing, folding, or trimming
  12. 12. Cut cover material to specified dimensions, fitting and gluing material to binder boards by hand or machine

Print Binding and Finishing Workers: O*NET ranks Operations Monitoring first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-5113 - lead skill Operations Monitoring at 3.4 ; lead knowledge Administration and Management. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Operations Monitoring 3.4
  2. 2. Critical Thinking 3.3
  3. 3. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  4. 4. Monitoring 3.1
  5. 5. Judgment and Decision Making 3.1
  6. 6. Speaking 3.0
  7. 7. Complex Problem Solving 3.0
  8. 8. Quality Control Analysis 3.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Administration and Management 3.5
  2. 2. Production and Processing 3.4
  3. 3. Mechanical 3.2
  4. 4. Customer and Personal Service 3.1
  5. 5. Mathematics 2.9
  6. 6. English Language 2.9
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-43%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $42,290/yr
$42K
National median
↓ -16%
Growth 2024-2034
2,800
Annual openings
33,180
Estimated US jobs
Nuclear Power Reactor Operators
Highest-pay peer · $123K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Print Binding and Finishing Workers

1. North Dakota $48,760
2. Vermont $48,930
3. Minnesota $48,390
4. Illinois $47,880
5. Alaska $57,200
6. Mississippi $91,850
7. New Hampshire $48,850
8. Maine $48,230
9. District of Columbia $108,080
10. Connecticut $47,750

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  2. 2. Nuclear Power Reactor Operators $122,890
  3. 3. Chemical Plant and System Operators $78,120
  4. 4. Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters $62,620
  5. 5. Gas Plant Operators $87,820
  6. 6. Fabric and Apparel Patternmakers $62,750

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Print Binding and Finishing Workers sits 43% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $42,290.

Employment Projections expect -16% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 2,800 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent 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: North Dakota at $48,760. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Nuclear Power Reactor Operators at $122,890. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Print Binding and Finishing Workers pay-rank #80 in Production Occupations

On the Production Occupations median table (105 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Print Binding and Finishing Workers lands at #80, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third 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.

Print Binding and Finishing Workers pays 43% below its major-group peer median. See the state map and the peers closest to (and furthest from) this line.

Print Binding and Finishing Workers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-5113

North Dakota · top state for Print Binding and Finishing Workers

$49K published median

Vermont · #2 state pay

$49K · behind North Dakota

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators

Highest-pay peer vs Print Binding and Finishing Workers · $123K

Timing Device Assemblers and Adjusters

Lower-pay peer beside Print Binding and Finishing Workers · $63K

Compare Print Binding and Finishing Workers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Print Binding and Finishing Workers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Print Binding and Finishing Workers

Against another occupation

Nuclear Power Reactor Operators card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Print Binding and Finishing Workers land on the Production Occupations median table? ▼
Print Binding and Finishing Workers is pay-rank #80 of 105 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Food Batchmakers ($42K), Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand ($43K), Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood ($43K), Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers ($42K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do print binding and finishing workers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Print Binding and Finishing Workers. Leading ones include: Examine stitched, collated, bound, or unbound product samples for defects, such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn pages, loose pages…; Read work orders to determine instructions and specifications for machine set-up; Install or adjust bindery machine devices, such as knives, guides, rollers, rounding forms, creasing rams, or clamps, to accommodate shee…; Trim edges of books to size, using cutting machines, book trimming machines, or hand cutters. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for print binding and finishing workers? ▼
For SOC 51-5113, O*NET importance scores lead with Operations Monitoring (3.4), Critical Thinking (3.3), Reading Comprehension (3.1), Monitoring (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Administration and Management, Production and Processing, Mechanical. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Print Binding and Finishing Workers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $42,290 as the national median for Print Binding and Finishing Workers. The published 10th-90th range is $32,220 to $59,150. Beside Nuclear Power Reactor Operators ($122,890), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Print Binding and Finishing Workers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Print Binding and Finishing Workers is -16%. 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 Print Binding and Finishing Workers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Print Binding and Finishing Workers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Print Binding and Finishing Workers? ▼
North Dakota ($48,760), Vermont ($48,930), Minnesota ($48,390) 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 Print Binding and Finishing Workers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-5113. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Print Binding and Finishing 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