Printing Press Operators
Arts, Audio/Video Technology and CommunicationsO*NET 51-5112.00United States
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
- Median annual earnings
- $45,343
- Projected change
- −5%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 146.65K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
74.4% of the workforce
Growing to 139.28K by 2035
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The work
What printing press operators do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
- Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
- Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls.
- Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size.
- Monitor automated press operation systems and respond to fault, error, or alert messages.
- Secure printing plates to printing units and adjust tolerances.
- Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required.
- Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed.
- Obtain or mix inks and fill ink fountains.
- Input production job settings into workstation terminals that control automated printing systems.
- Clean or oil presses or make minor repairs, using hand tools.
- Maintain time or production records.
- Monitor environmental factors, such as humidity and temperature, that may impact equipment performance and make necessary adjustments.
- Monitor inventory levels on a regular basis, ordering or requesting additional supplies, as necessary.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $32,344
- 25th percentile
- $36,708
- 50th percentile
- $45,343
- 75th percentile
- $55,838
- 90th percentile
- $65,131
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $45,343 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−5%projected to decline
2025146,652 jobs
2035 projected139,283 jobs
7,369 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 74.4%
- Certificate
- 19.5%
- Some college
- 6.2%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Press Operators755 postings
- 02Flexographic Press Operators582 postings
- 03Printing Press Operators549 postings
- 04Screen Printers512 postings
- 05Screen Print Operators431 postings
- 06Digital Press Operators252 postings
- 07Offset Press Operators245 postings
- 08Print Operators108 postings
- 09Printing Machine Operators107 postings
- 10Web Press Operators93 postings
- 11Equipment Operators90 postings
- 12Digital Print Operators80 postings
- 13Pressmen69 postings
- 14Silk Screen Printers68 postings
- 15Press Feeders43 postings
- 16Press Helpers42 postings
- 17Pressroom Supervisors35 postings
- 18Media Operators33 postings
- 19Press Assistants28 postings
- 20Printing Assistants27 postings
Top employers
- 01Multi-Color Corporation150 postings
- 02Mcc146 postings
- 03GPAC142 postings
- 04Aerotek80 postings
- 05R.R. Donnelley & Sons55 postings
- 06Taylor Corporation52 postings
- 07Semper Incorporated51 postings
- 08Graphic Packaging International46 postings
- 09Express Employment Professionals43 postings
- 10Resource Label Group40 postings
- 11Smurfit Westrock31 postings
- 12Adecco28 postings
- 13Staffmark28 postings
- 14Lakeside Book Company27 postings
- 15Inovar Packaging26 postings
- 16Inovar Packaging Group26 postings
- 17Edjoin.Org25 postings
- 18Fortis Solutions Group22 postings
- 19Gannett20 postings
- 20Amcor19 postings
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