51 Series · SOC 51-5113
Print Binding and Finishing 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).
- $42,290
- Median / year
- $59,150
- Top 10% earn
- -16.1%
- Growth '23–'33
- 33,180
- US workers
Print Binding and Finishing Workers earn a median of $42,290 per year.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey, the median annual wage is $42,290, based on the most recent survey of employers. Reported pay ranges from $32,220 (10th percentile) to $59,150 (90th percentile) nationally, across roughly 33,180 US workers. District of Columbia pays the most ($108,080), since pay varies by state and metro area.
The pay verdict
Print Binding and Finishing Workers earn a median of $42,290, putting them among the lower-paid US occupations and higher than 15% of the 825 occupations with a published BLS median. Within Production, it ranks #80 of 105 by median pay. Employment is projected to fall 16.1% by 2033.
- $42,290
- Median annual wage
- Top 85%
- of 825 US occupations with published wages
- #80 of 105
- in Production
- 1.8×
- 90th-to-10th pay spread
Highest-paying state: District of Columbia at $108,080. Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Print Binding and Finishing Workers (SOC 51-5113) pays a national median of $42,290 per year according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey released in May 2025. Full-range compensation stretches from $32,220 at the 10th percentile to $59,150 at the 90th, with a mean of $44,460 indicating a right-skew where top earners pull the average above the midpoint. An estimated 33,180 Americans work in this occupation across 51 reporting states and 134 metro areas.
BLS Employment Projections forecast a -16.1% 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 High school diploma or equivalent and moderate-term on-the-job training of on-the-job training. 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 $108,080, which is +156% above the national figure. The top metro is Trenton-Princeton, NJ at $56,380 - 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
$42,290
per year
Median Hourly
$20.33/hr
per hour
Mean Salary
$44,460
average
Employment
33,180
jobs nationwide
How does this pay compare nationally?
Where Print Binding and Finishing Workers pay sits nationally
Median annual wage vs. 825 detailed BLS occupations with a published median
$42,290 Bottom 15% higher than 15% 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 Print Binding and Finishing Workers; the upper-right quadrant is the sweet spot (high pay + fast growth).
Among 23 51-series occupations with growth data, Print Binding and Finishing Workers sits on the slower-growing side at -16.1% growth and $42,290 median pay.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS (wages, May 2025) and Employment Projections (2024–2034).
Job Outlook (2024–2034)
Projected Growth
-16.1%
Declining
Annual Openings
2,800
per year (projected)
Typical Education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-Job Training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
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 Print Binding and Finishing Workers roles, ranked by importance. Source: O*NET.
Top Skills
Knowledge Areas
Key Tasks
- ▸ Examine stitched, collated, bound, or unbound product samples for defects, such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn pages, loose pages, or loose or uncut threads.
- ▸ 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 sheets, signatures, or books of specified sizes.
- ▸ Trim edges of books to size, using cutting machines, book trimming machines, or hand cutters.
- ▸ Stitch or glue endpapers, bindings, backings, or signatures, using sewing machines, glue machines, or glue and brushes.
- ▸ Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions or to determine whether adjustments are needed.
- ▸ Insert book bodies in devices that form back edges of books into convex shapes and produce grooves that facilitate cover attachment.
- ▸ Maintain records, such as daily production records, using specified forms.
- ▸ Lubricate, clean, or make minor repairs to machine parts to keep machines in working condition.
- ▸ Set up or operate bindery machines, such as coil binders, thermal or tape binders, plastic comb binders, or specialty binders.
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
$32,220
25th Percentile
$36,910
Median
$42,290
75th Percentile
$49,130
90th Percentile
$59,150
Salary by State
Highest Paying States
View all 51 states →
| # | State | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $108,080 | +156% above national |
| 2 | Mississippi | $91,850 | +117% above national |
| 3 | Alaska | $57,200 | +35% above national |
| 4 | Vermont | $48,930 | +16% above national |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $48,850 | +16% above national |
| 6 | North Dakota | $48,760 | +15% above national |
| 7 | Minnesota | $48,390 | +14% above national |
| 8 | Maine | $48,230 | +14% above national |
| 9 | Illinois | $47,880 | +13% above national |
| 10 | Connecticut | $47,750 | +13% above national |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $46,630 | +10% above national |
| 12 | New Jersey | $46,600 | +10% above national |
| 13 | Oregon | $46,240 | +9% above national |
| 14 | Colorado | $45,780 | +8% above national |
| 15 | California | $45,390 | +7% above national |
| 16 | Washington | $45,300 | +7% above national |
| 17 | Maryland | $45,170 | +7% above national |
| 18 | Rhode Island | $45,050 | +7% above national |
| 19 | New York | $44,210 | +5% above national |
| 20 | Ohio | $43,680 | +3% above national |
| 21 | Wisconsin | $43,400 | +3% above national |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $43,010 | +2% above national |
| 23 | Virginia | $42,780 | +1% above national |
| 24 | South Dakota | $41,350 | 2% below national |
| 25 | West Virginia | $41,340 | 2% below national |
| 26 | Hawaii | $41,050 | 3% below national |
| 27 | Arkansas | $41,040 | 3% below national |
| 28 | South Carolina | $40,820 | 3% below national |
| 29 | Michigan | $40,460 | 4% below national |
| 30 | Idaho | $40,200 | 5% below national |
| 31 | Nevada | $40,200 | 5% below national |
| 32 | Delaware | $40,080 | 5% below national |
| 33 | Arizona | $39,740 | 6% below national |
| 34 | Kentucky | $39,620 | 6% below national |
| 35 | North Carolina | $39,580 | 6% below national |
| 36 | Utah | $39,570 | 6% below national |
| 37 | Georgia | $39,310 | 7% below national |
| 38 | Alabama | $39,270 | 7% below national |
| 39 | Iowa | $38,790 | 8% below national |
| 40 | Florida | $38,730 | 8% below national |
| 41 | Indiana | $38,730 | 8% below national |
| 42 | Missouri | $38,570 | 9% below national |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $37,770 | 11% below national |
| 44 | Kansas | $37,470 | 11% below national |
| 45 | Texas | $37,310 | 12% below national |
| 46 | Tennessee | $36,960 | 13% below national |
| 47 | Nebraska | $36,800 | 13% below national |
| 48 | Louisiana | $36,230 | 14% below national |
| 49 | Montana | $36,220 | 14% below national |
| 50 | New Mexico | $29,380 | 31% below national |
| 51 | Puerto Rico | $27,460 | 35% below national |
Salary by Metro Area
Highest Paying Metros
View all 134 metro areas →
| # | Metro Area | Median Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $56,380 | +33% above national |
| 2 | North Northeastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area (noncontiguous) | $51,520 | +22% above national |
| 3 | Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | $49,920 | +18% above national |
| 4 | Portland-South Portland, ME | $49,470 | +17% above national |
| 5 | Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $49,420 | +17% above national |
| 6 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $49,250 | +16% above national |
| 7 | Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $49,110 | +16% above national |
| 8 | Burlington-South Burlington, VT | $49,010 | +16% above national |
| 9 | Worcester, MA | $48,820 | +15% above national |
| 10 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $48,740 | +15% above national |
| 11 | Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $48,610 | +15% above national |
| 12 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $48,470 | +15% above national |
| 13 | Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | $48,450 | +15% above national |
| 14 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $48,180 | +14% above national |
| 15 | Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $48,150 | +14% above national |
| 16 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $47,930 | +13% above national |
| 17 | New Haven, CT | $47,700 | +13% above national |
| 18 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $47,680 | +13% above national |
| 19 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $47,610 | +13% above national |
| 20 | Lancaster, PA | $47,600 | +13% above national |
| 21 | Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $47,590 | +13% above national |
| 22 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $47,480 | +12% above national |
| 23 | Kansas City, MO-KS | $47,160 | +12% above national |
| 24 | Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $46,970 | +11% above national |
| 25 | Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $46,820 | +11% above national |
| 26 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $46,600 | +10% above national |
| 27 | Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | $46,120 | +9% above national |
| 28 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $46,110 | +9% above national |
| 29 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $45,970 | +9% above national |
| 30 | Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | $45,670 | +8% above national |
| 31 | St. Cloud, MN | $45,410 | +7% above national |
| 32 | Ann Arbor, MI | $45,250 | +7% above national |
| 33 | Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | $45,020 | +6% above national |
| 34 | Fargo, ND-MN | $44,770 | +6% above national |
| 35 | Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $44,420 | +5% above national |
| 36 | Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $44,360 | +5% above national |
| 37 | Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $44,130 | +4% above national |
| 38 | Eastern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $43,980 | +4% above national |
| 39 | Columbus, OH | $43,840 | +4% above national |
| 40 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $43,680 | +3% above national |
| 41 | Madison, WI | $43,400 | +3% above national |
| 42 | Green Bay, WI | $43,040 | +2% above national |
| 43 | Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $42,870 | +1% above national |
| 44 | Sheboygan, WI | $42,240 | same as national |
| 45 | Southern Michigan nonmetropolitan area | $42,050 | 1% below national |
| 46 | Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $41,760 | 1% below national |
| 47 | Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $41,490 | 2% below national |
| 48 | Sioux Falls, SD-MN | $41,350 | 2% below national |
| 49 | Rochester, NY | $41,120 | 3% below national |
| 50 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $41,050 | 3% below national |
| 51 | Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | $41,040 | 3% below national |
| 52 | Reading, PA | $40,880 | 3% below national |
| 53 | Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR | $40,800 | 4% below national |
| 54 | Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $40,630 | 4% below national |
| 55 | Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | $40,520 | 4% below national |
| 56 | Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $40,200 | 5% below national |
| 57 | Reno, NV | $40,200 | 5% below national |
| 58 | Raleigh-Cary, NC | $40,040 | 5% below national |
| 59 | Birmingham, AL | $40,010 | 5% below national |
| 60 | La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN | $40,000 | 5% below national |
| 61 | Akron, OH | $39,970 | 5% below national |
| 62 | Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | $39,880 | 6% below national |
| 63 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $39,880 | 6% below national |
| 64 | Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $39,790 | 6% below national |
| 65 | Canton-Massillon, OH | $39,790 | 6% below national |
| 66 | West Northwestern Ohio nonmetropolitan area | $39,770 | 6% below national |
| 67 | Tucson, AZ | $39,740 | 6% below national |
| 68 | Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | $39,650 | 6% below national |
| 69 | Chambersburg, PA | $39,610 | 6% below national |
| 70 | Greensboro-High Point, NC | $39,580 | 6% below national |
| 71 | Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $39,570 | 6% below national |
| 72 | Cleveland, OH | $39,560 | 6% below national |
| 73 | Boulder, CO | $39,530 | 7% below national |
| 74 | Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $39,520 | 7% below national |
| 75 | Elkhart-Goshen, IN | $39,500 | 7% below national |
| 76 | York-Hanover, PA | $39,430 | 7% below national |
| 77 | Springfield, MA | $39,420 | 7% below national |
| 78 | Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $39,310 | 7% below national |
| 79 | Montgomery, AL | $39,230 | 7% below national |
| 80 | St. Louis, MO-IL | $39,200 | 7% below national |
| 81 | Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $39,080 | 8% below national |
| 82 | Pittsburgh, PA | $39,080 | 8% below national |
| 83 | Appleton, WI | $38,970 | 8% below national |
| 84 | Syracuse, NY | $38,950 | 8% below national |
| 85 | Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $38,880 | 8% below national |
| 86 | Fort Wayne, IN | $38,880 | 8% below national |
| 87 | Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | $38,870 | 8% below national |
| 88 | Central Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $38,730 | 8% below national |
| 89 | Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $38,640 | 9% below national |
| 90 | Asheville, NC | $38,540 | 9% below national |
| 91 | Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $38,510 | 9% below national |
| 92 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $38,430 | 9% below national |
| 93 | Eau Claire, WI | $38,400 | 9% below national |
| 94 | Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $38,370 | 9% below national |
| 95 | Jacksonville, FL | $38,190 | 10% below national |
| 96 | Tulsa, OK | $38,170 | 10% below national |
| 97 | Springfield, MO | $38,130 | 10% below national |
| 98 | Waterbury-Shelton, CT | $38,110 | 10% below national |
| 99 | Baton Rouge, LA | $38,070 | 10% below national |
| 100 | Lynchburg, VA | $37,940 | 10% below national |
| 101 | West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $37,910 | 10% below national |
| 102 | Dalton, GA | $37,890 | 10% below national |
| 103 | Oklahoma City, OK | $37,890 | 10% below national |
| 104 | Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $37,890 | 10% below national |
| 105 | Toledo, OH | $37,890 | 10% below national |
| 106 | El Paso, TX | $37,820 | 11% below national |
| 107 | Janesville-Beloit, WI | $37,770 | 11% below national |
| 108 | Ogden, UT | $37,730 | 11% below national |
| 109 | East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $37,650 | 11% below national |
| 110 | Wausau, WI | $37,580 | 11% below national |
| 111 | Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $37,490 | 11% below national |
| 112 | Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $37,440 | 11% below national |
| 113 | Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | $37,420 | 12% below national |
| 114 | Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $37,120 | 12% below national |
| 115 | Jefferson City, MO | $37,070 | 12% below national |
| 116 | Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $36,940 | 13% below national |
| 117 | Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $36,880 | 13% below national |
| 118 | Omaha, NE-IA | $36,800 | 13% below national |
| 119 | Southwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $36,350 | 14% below national |
| 120 | Niles, MI | $36,320 | 14% below national |
| 121 | Winston-Salem, NC | $36,320 | 14% below national |
| 122 | Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | $36,130 | 15% below national |
| 123 | San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $35,870 | 15% below national |
| 124 | Northwestern Pennsylvania nonmetropolitan area | $35,700 | 16% below national |
| 125 | Battle Creek, MI | $35,680 | 16% below national |
| 126 | Knoxville, TN | $33,930 | 20% below national |
| 127 | Kansas nonmetropolitan area | $33,800 | 20% below national |
| 128 | Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $33,240 | 21% below national |
| 129 | East Tennessee nonmetropolitan area | $33,050 | 22% below national |
| 130 | Chattanooga, TN-GA | $32,220 | 24% below national |
| 131 | Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | $31,030 | 27% below national |
| 132 | Wichita, KS | $30,200 | 29% below national |
| 133 | Mayaguez, PR | $27,460 | 35% below national |
| 134 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $25,740 | 39% 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 Print Binding and Finishing Workers make? ▼
What state pays Print Binding and Finishing Workers the most? ▼
What education do you need to become a Print Binding and Finishing Workers? ▼
How dangerous is being a Print Binding and Finishing Workers? ▼
Is Print Binding and Finishing Workers a good career? ▼
How does Print Binding and Finishing Workers pay vary by state? ▼
Which metro areas pay the most for Print Binding and Finishing Workers? ▼
What to do with this data
How to use Print Binding and Finishing Workers pay figures in a real decision
- For an experienced offer, anchor on the 75th percentile (about $49,130/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 $108,080/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.