Production Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 51-5112

Printing Press Operators

Median pay sits 39% below the mid peer in Production Occupations (neighbors include Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers, Plant and System Operators, All Other, Tool and Die Makers, Model Makers, Metal and Plastic).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Printing Press Operators: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($97K) , Plant and System Operators, All Other ($62K) , Tool and Die Makers ($64K) , Model Makers, Metal and Plastic ($63K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Printing Press Operators publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 51-5112 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Start presses and pull proofs to check for ink coverage and density, alignment, and registration
  2. 2. Examine job orders to determine quantities to be printed, stock specifications, colors, or special printing instructions
  3. 3. Adjust ink fountain flow rates
  4. 4. Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job
  5. 5. Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments
  6. 6. Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls
  7. 7. Monitor automated press operation systems and respond to fault, error, or alert messages
  8. 8. Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size
  9. 9. Secure printing plates to printing units and adjust tolerances
  10. 10. Download or scan files to be printed, using printing production software
  11. 11. Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed
  12. 12. Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required

Printing Press Operators: O*NET ranks Quality Control Analysis first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 51-5112 - lead skill Quality Control Analysis at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Quality Control Analysis 3.9
  2. 2. Operations Monitoring 3.6
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.3
  4. 4. Operation and Control 3.3
  5. 5. Reading Comprehension 3.1
  6. 6. Active Listening 3.1
  7. 7. Speaking 3.1
  8. 8. Critical Thinking 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 3.8
  2. 2. Production and Processing 3.7
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 2.9
  4. 4. English Language 2.8
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 2.8
  6. 6. Mathematics 2.7
Pay vs Production Occupations peers
-39%
vs mid peer median $74,450
This role $45,780/yr
$46K
National median
↓ -8%
Growth 2024-2034
13,700
Annual openings
144,260
Estimated US jobs
Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers
Highest-pay peer · $97K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Printing Press Operators

1. New Jersey $50,430
2. Colorado $47,860
3. New York $47,860
4. Minnesota $48,560
5. Oregon $48,760
6. Massachusetts $53,050
7. New Hampshire $48,410
8. District of Columbia $116,630
9. Washington $49,800
10. Kentucky $48,000

Other Production Occupations titles

  1. 1. Tool and Die Makers $64,050
  2. 2. Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers $96,710
  3. 3. Model Makers, Metal and Plastic $63,340
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers $74,450
  5. 5. Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers $65,380
  6. 6. Plant and System Operators, All Other $62,470

Among Production Occupations peers on this card, Printing Press Operators sits 39% below the mid peer median ($74,450). Its own median is $45,780.

Employment Projections expect -8% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 13,700 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: New Jersey at $50,430. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers at $96,710. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Printing Press Operators pay-rank #65 in Production Occupations

Printing Press Operators sits at pay-rank #65 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.

SOC 51-5112 · national median $45,780 · middle third of Production Occupations (#65/105). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Printing Press Operators salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 51-5112

New Jersey · top state for Printing Press Operators

$50K published median

Colorado · #2 state pay

$48K · behind New Jersey

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers

Highest-pay peer vs Printing Press Operators · $97K

Plant and System Operators, All Other

Lower-pay peer beside Printing Press Operators · $62K

Compare Printing Press Operators

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Printing Press Operators with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Printing Press Operators

Against another occupation

Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Printing Press Operators mid-table among Production Occupations? ▼
Yes: pay-rank #65 of 105 detailed Production Occupations, the middle third. Mid-table neighbors: Extruding, Forming, Pressing, and Compacting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders ($46K), Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical Assemblers, Except Coil Winders, Tapers, and Finishers ($46K), Metal Workers and Plastic Workers, All Other ($46K), Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic ($46K). ROW_NUMBER on median; title breaks ties.
What do printing press operators do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Printing Press Operators. Leading ones include: 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; Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for printing press operators? ▼
For SOC 51-5112, O*NET importance scores lead with Quality Control Analysis (3.9), Operations Monitoring (3.6), Monitoring (3.3), Operation and Control (3.3). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Production and Processing, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Printing Press Operators? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $45,780 as the national median for Printing Press Operators. The published 10th-90th range is $33,330 to $63,520. Beside Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers ($96,710), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Printing Press Operators? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Printing Press Operators is -8%. Projected annual openings: about 13,700. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Printing Press Operators? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Printing Press Operators. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Printing Press Operators? ▼
New Jersey ($50,430), Colorado ($47,860), New York ($47,860) 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 Printing Press Operators card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 51-5112. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Printing Press Operators. 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