51 Series · SOC 51-5111
Prepress Technicians and Workers Salary
National pay, percentile range, growth outlook, and state-by-state detail from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey (May 2025).
- $48,690
- Median / year
- $66,080
- Top 10% earn
- -14.6%
- Growth '23–'33
- 23,840
- US workers
Prepress Technicians and Workers earn a median of $48,690 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $48,690, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $35,810 (10th percentile) to $66,080 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 23,840 US workers. District of Columbia pays the most ($100,980), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Prepress Technicians and Workers earn a median of $48,690, putting them below the typical US occupation and higher than 30% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #43 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 14.6% by 2033.
- $48,690
- Median annual wage
- Top 70%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #43 of 105
- in Production
- 1.8×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $100,980. Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.
Prepress Technicians and Workers (SOC 51-5111) pays a national median of $48,690 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $35,810 at the 10th percentile to $66,080 at the 90th, with a mean of $50,800 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 23,840 Americans work in this occupation across 46 reporting states and 121 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -14.6% change in employment from 2024 to 2034, which the agency classifies as declining relative to the 5% all-occupations baseline. About 2,800 openings are projected per year, combining new positions with replacement needs from retirements and occupation-switchers. Typical entry-level preparation is Postsecondary nondegree award. The BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) and Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) produce a workplace-safety grade of B for this role, with a fatality rate of 3.5 per 100,000 and injury rate of 3.2 per 100.
Geographic variation matters as much as the headline median. District of Columbia pays the highest state median at $100,980, which is +107% above the national figure. The top metro is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $70,670 - metro premiums typically reflect higher cost of living, industry concentration, or specialized employer demand. When using this page for negotiation or career planning, pair the national median with the state and metro rows below, remember that BLS wages exclude benefits, bonuses, and overtime, and revisit after each May OEWS release since percentiles shift with cost-of-living cycles and industry demand. See our methodology for exactly how these figures are sourced, computed, and verified.
Median Salary
$48,690
per year
Median Hourly
$23.41/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$50,800
average
Employment
23,840
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Prepress Technicians and Workers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$48,690 Bottom 30% higher than 30% of 825 US occupations
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS · May 2025
Does this job pay well and grow?
Each dot is a 51-series occupation, placed by projected 2024–2034 growth and median pay. The highlighted dot is Prepress Technicians and Workers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Prepress Technicians and Workers sits on the slower-growing side at -14.6% growth and $48,690 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-14.6%
Declining
Annual Openings
2,800
per year (projected)
Typical Education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034
Workplace Safety
All safety ratings →Safe
Safety Grade (BLS 2023)
Fatality Rate
3.5/100K
Injury Rate
3.2/100
Danger Index
14.6/100
Source: BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) & Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), 2023
Career Intelligence
Skills, knowledge, and tasks most important for Prepress Technicians and Workers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ 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.
- ▸ Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
- ▸ Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
- ▸ Operate presses to print proofs of plates, monitoring printing quality to ensure that it is adequate.
- ▸ Select proper types of plates according to press run lengths.
- ▸ Examine finished plates to detect flaws, verify conformity with master plates, and measure dot sizes and centers, using light boxes and microscopes.
- ▸ Examine unexposed photographic plates to detect flaws or foreign particles prior to printing.
Source: O*NET Online, National Center for O*NET Development. Data represents typical importance ratings for this occupation.
Salary Range
Annual Salary Distribution
Hourly Rate Distribution
10th Percentile
$35,810
25th Percentile
$40,930
Median
$48,690
75th Percentile
$58,580
90th Percentile
$66,080
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 46 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $100,980 | +107% above national |
| 2 | Maryland | $60,770 | +25% above national |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $57,250 | +18% above national |
| 4 | New Jersey | $56,840 | +17% above national |
| 5 | Vermont | $55,880 | +15% above national |
| 6 | Nevada | $55,680 | +14% above national |
| 7 | Oregon | $54,360 | +12% above national |
| 8 | California | $53,860 | +11% above national |
| 9 | Washington | $53,770 | +10% above national |
| 10 | Arkansas | $52,800 | +8% above national |
| 11 | New York | $52,420 | +8% above national |
| 12 | Montana | $51,910 | +7% above national |
| 13 | Colorado | $51,730 | +6% above national |
| 14 | Georgia | $50,280 | +3% above national |
| 15 | North Carolina | $49,760 | +2% above national |
| 16 | Illinois | $49,450 | +2% above national |
| 17 | Minnesota | $49,130 | +1% above national |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $49,100 | +1% above national |
| 19 | Virginia | $49,100 | +1% above national |
| 20 | Indiana | $49,050 | +1% above national |
| 21 | Connecticut | $48,780 | same as national |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $48,580 | same as national |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $48,410 | 1% below national |
| 24 | Ohio | $47,810 | 2% below national |
| 25 | Tennessee | $47,790 | 2% below national |
| 26 | Iowa | $47,770 | 2% below national |
| 27 | Maine | $47,350 | 3% below national |
| 28 | Idaho | $47,220 | 3% below national |
| 29 | Michigan | $46,960 | 4% below national |
| 30 | South Dakota | $46,370 | 5% below national |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $45,930 | 6% below national |
| 32 | South Carolina | $45,900 | 6% below national |
| 33 | Missouri | $45,860 | 6% below national |
| 34 | Kentucky | $45,830 | 6% below national |
| 35 | Oklahoma | $45,730 | 6% below national |
| 36 | Florida | $45,660 | 6% below national |
| 37 | Kansas | $45,290 | 7% below national |
| 38 | Utah | $44,230 | 9% below national |
| 39 | Nebraska | $40,930 | 16% below national |
| 40 | New Mexico | $39,830 | 18% below national |
| 41 | Arizona | $38,830 | 20% below national |
| 42 | Texas | $38,410 | 21% below national |
| 43 | Louisiana | $38,060 | 22% below national |
| 44 | West Virginia | $35,320 | 27% below national |
| 45 | Alabama | $35,020 | 28% below national |
| 46 | Puerto Rico | $33,030 | 32% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 121 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $70,670 | +45% above national |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $66,670 | +37% above national |
| 3 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $59,970 | +23% above national |
| 4 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $59,540 | +22% above national |
| 5 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $58,430 | +20% above national |
| 6 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $58,360 | +20% above national |
| 7 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $58,200 | +20% above national |
| 8 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $57,850 | +19% above national |
| 9 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $56,930 | +17% above national |
| 10 | Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $56,850 | +17% above national |
| 11 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $56,850 | +17% above national |
| 12 | Reno, NV | $56,740 | +17% above national |
| 13 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $55,680 | +14% above national |
| 14 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $55,680 | +14% above national |
| 15 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $55,560 | +14% above national |
| 16 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $55,370 | +14% above national |
| 17 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $54,590 | +12% above national |
| 18 | Ames, IA | $54,460 | +12% above national |
| 19 | South Central Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $54,360 | +12% above national |
| 20 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $54,000 | +11% above national |
| 21 | Fort Wayne, IN | $53,660 | +10% above national |
| 22 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $53,560 | +10% above national |
| 23 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $53,410 | +10% above national |
| 24 | Appleton, WI | $53,150 | +9% above national |
| 25 | Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $53,150 | +9% above national |
| 26 | Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $52,400 | +8% above national |
| 27 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $52,000 | +7% above national |
| 28 | Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $51,410 | +6% above national |
| 29 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $51,380 | +6% above national |
| 30 | Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $51,180 | +5% above national |
| 31 | Fresno, CA | $50,890 | +5% above national |
| 32 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $50,860 | +4% above national |
| 33 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $50,750 | +4% above national |
| 34 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $50,660 | +4% above national |
| 35 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $50,370 | +3% above national |
| 36 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $50,340 | +3% above national |
| 37 | Rochester, NY | $50,320 | +3% above national |
| 38 | Asheville, NC | $49,920 | +3% above national |
| 39 | Richmond, VA | $49,850 | +2% above national |
| 40 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $49,770 | +2% above national |
| 41 | Winston-Salem, NC | $49,760 | +2% above national |
| 42 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49,680 | +2% above national |
| 43 | Columbus, OH | $49,650 | +2% above national |
| 44 | Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $49,630 | +2% above national |
| 45 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $49,600 | +2% above national |
| 46 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $49,590 | +2% above national |
| 47 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $49,130 | +1% above national |
| 48 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $49,070 | +1% above national |
| 49 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $49,020 | +1% above national |
| 50 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $48,900 | same as national |
| 51 | York-Hanover, PA | $48,820 | same as national |
| 52 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $48,790 | same as national |
| 53 | Syracuse, NY | $48,730 | same as national |
| 54 | Pittsburgh, PA | $48,700 | same as national |
| 55 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $48,680 | same as national |
| 56 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $48,580 | same as national |
| 57 | Springfield, MA | $48,510 | same as national |
| 58 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $48,510 | same as national |
| 59 | Lawrence, KS | $48,490 | same as national |
| 60 | Madison, WI | $48,410 | 1% below national |
| 61 | Lancaster, PA | $48,370 | 1% below national |
| 62 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $48,350 | 1% below national |
| 63 | Akron, OH | $48,280 | 1% below national |
| 64 | Cleveland, OH | $48,270 | 1% below national |
| 65 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $48,240 | 1% below national |
| 66 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $48,230 | 1% below national |
| 67 | Green Bay, WI | $48,070 | 1% below national |
| 68 | New Haven, CT | $48,040 | 1% below national |
| 69 | Worcester, MA | $47,890 | 2% below national |
| 70 | Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA | $47,870 | 2% below national |
| 71 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $47,810 | 2% below national |
| 72 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $47,790 | 2% below national |
| 73 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $47,570 | 2% below national |
| 74 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $47,430 | 3% below national |
| 75 | Northeastern Wisconsin nonmetropolitan area | $47,360 | 3% below national |
| 76 | Central Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $47,350 | 3% below national |
| 77 | Lexington-Fayette, KY | $47,280 | 3% below national |
| 78 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $47,270 | 3% below national |
| 79 | Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | $47,270 | 3% below national |
| 80 | Clarksville, TN-KY | $46,900 | 4% below national |
| 81 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $46,830 | 4% below national |
| 82 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $46,660 | 4% below national |
| 83 | Oklahoma City, OK | $46,460 | 5% below national |
| 84 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $46,080 | 5% below national |
| 85 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $45,980 | 6% below national |
| 86 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $45,900 | 6% below national |
| 87 | Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area | $45,860 | 6% below national |
| 88 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $45,770 | 6% below national |
| 89 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $45,660 | 6% below national |
| 90 | South Central Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $45,490 | 7% below national |
| 91 | Ann Arbor, MI | $45,480 | 7% below national |
| 92 | Mankato, MN | $45,430 | 7% below national |
| 93 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $45,260 | 7% below national |
| 94 | Toledo, OH | $45,100 | 7% below national |
| 95 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $44,980 | 8% below national |
| 96 | Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA | $44,730 | 8% below national |
| 97 | Knoxville, TN | $44,370 | 9% below national |
| 98 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $44,140 | 9% below national |
| 99 | South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $44,030 | 10% below national |
| 100 | Jacksonville, FL | $43,960 | 10% below national |
| 101 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $43,950 | 10% below national |
| 102 | Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $43,890 | 10% below national |
| 103 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $43,700 | 10% below national |
| 104 | Columbia, SC | $43,400 | 11% below national |
| 105 | Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | $42,970 | 12% below national |
| 106 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $42,630 | 12% below national |
| 107 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $41,180 | 15% below national |
| 108 | Omaha, NE-IA | $40,930 | 16% below national |
| 109 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $40,800 | 16% below national |
| 110 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $40,550 | 17% below national |
| 111 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $39,940 | 18% below national |
| 112 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $38,830 | 20% below national |
| 113 | Ogden, UT | $38,630 | 21% below national |
| 114 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $37,310 | 23% below national |
| 115 | Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $36,460 | 25% below national |
| 116 | West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area | $36,240 | 26% below national |
| 117 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $35,810 | 26% below national |
| 118 | Wichita, KS | $35,670 | 27% below national |
| 119 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $34,960 | 28% below national |
| 120 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $33,880 | 30% below national |
| 121 | College Station-Bryan, TX | $30,270 | 38% below national |
Similar Occupations in the Same Category
Other roles in SOC major group 51 (production) with comparable pay and career paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Prepress Technicians and Workers make? ▼
What state pays Prepress Technicians and Workers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Prepress Technicians and Workers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Prepress Technicians and Workers? ▼
Is Prepress Technicians and Workers a good career? ▼
How does Prepress Technicians and Workers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Prepress Technicians and Workers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Prepress Technicians and Workers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $58,580/year), not the median. The median marks the middle worker; the upper quartile is the realistic target with strong experience. Salary calculator
- Location moves pay significantly: District of Columbia leads at $100,980/year for this role. Weigh state pay against local cost of living before relocating or negotiating remote. Pay by state
- Compare this occupation against similar roles before you decide, so you are reading the pay band in context rather than in isolation. Compare jobs
These are BLS survey estimates for the occupation, not a salary offer or a prediction for any individual. Your pay depends on experience, employer, exact role, and location.
Every figure on WageDex is rendered directly from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, no number is typed in by an editor. This occupation's figures are computed directly from the BLS OEWS and Employment Projections datasets, nothing is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 2025.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. Actual pay for a specific role, employer, or offer may differ from these national/state figures, consult a qualified career counselor, recruiter, or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.