Average Salary for Printing Press Operators
SOC 51-5112 · Production Occupations · 2024 data
The median annual wage for Printing Press Operators in the United States is $45,160 ($21.71/hr), based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Wages range from $31,450 at the 10th percentile to $63,060 at the 90th percentile nationally. An estimated 145,110 people work in this occupation across the country. The national median wage has grown 28.7% since 2014.
Median Annual
$45,160
Mean Annual
$46,620
10th Pct
$31,450
75th Pct
$54,340
Employment
145,110
Salary Distribution
$31k
10th
$37k
25th
$45k
Median
$54k
75th
$63k
90th
Highest Paying Metro Areas
| Metro Area | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Harrisonburg, VA | $62,100 |
| Rochester, MN | $58,820 |
| Napa, CA | $57,010 |
| Modesto, CA | $55,730 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $55,280 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $52,920 |
| Springfield, MA | $52,060 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $51,760 |
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $51,720 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $51,230 |
| Fort Smith, AR-OK | $50,760 |
| Visalia, CA | $50,620 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | $50,620 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $50,590 |
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | $50,470 |
Salary by State
| State | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $115,770 |
| New Jersey | $51,760 |
| Minnesota | $49,540 |
| Maryland | $49,450 |
| Washington | $49,230 |
| Massachusetts | $49,230 |
| Arkansas | $48,310 |
| Rhode Island | $48,310 |
| Wisconsin | $47,970 |
| Oregon | $47,900 |
| New Hampshire | $47,320 |
| Colorado | $47,270 |
| Illinois | $47,210 |
| Vermont | $46,820 |
| New York | $46,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,560 |
| California | $46,020 |
| Delaware | $45,910 |
| Michigan | $45,870 |
| Indiana | $45,740 |
| Kentucky | $45,530 |
| Ohio | $45,270 |
| Maine | $44,560 |
| Alaska | $44,500 |
| Connecticut | $43,930 |
| Missouri | $43,720 |
| North Carolina | $43,090 |
| Georgia | $42,800 |
| Virginia | $42,790 |
| South Dakota | $42,570 |
| Arizona | $41,900 |
| West Virginia | $41,650 |
| Wyoming | $41,410 |
| Nevada | $41,260 |
| Tennessee | $41,170 |
| Nebraska | $40,970 |
| Kansas | $40,580 |
| Texas | $40,000 |
| Utah | $39,740 |
| Iowa | $39,660 |
| Mississippi | $38,980 |
| Florida | $38,710 |
| Montana | $38,640 |
| North Dakota | $38,540 |
| Hawaii | $38,390 |
| South Carolina | $38,080 |
| Idaho | $37,310 |
| Louisiana | $36,810 |
| New Mexico | $35,380 |
| Oklahoma | $35,270 |
| Alabama | $34,980 |
| Guam | $26,260 |
| Puerto Rico | $22,880 |
Salary by Industry
National median wage for Printing Press Operators broken down by industry sector, 2024 data.
| Industry | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $128,000 |
| Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $128,000 |
| Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities | $74,690 |
| Other Insurance Related Activities | $73,090 |
| Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $65,430 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $64,780 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $64,780 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | $64,730 |
| Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | $64,720 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | $62,240 |
| Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $61,010 |
| Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers | $60,350 |
| Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | $60,010 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | $57,140 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | $57,020 |
| Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations | $56,780 |
| Primary Metal Manufacturing | $56,750 |
| Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $56,260 |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $56,180 |
| Junior Colleges | $55,430 |
| Local Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $54,100 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | $53,220 |
| Paper Manufacturing | $52,050 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | $51,980 |
| Machinery Manufacturing | $51,480 |
| Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | $51,410 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | $51,230 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | $49,750 |
| State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $49,390 |
| Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | $49,220 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) | $48,850 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities | $48,850 |
| Educational Services | $48,340 |
| Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | $48,200 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | $48,180 |
| Finance and Insurance | $48,180 |
| Insurance Carriers and Related Activities | $48,180 |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $48,000 |
| Insurance Carriers | $47,970 |
| Hospitals | $47,910 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $47,910 |
| Repair and Maintenance | $47,840 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | $47,840 |
| Automotive Repair and Maintenance | $47,840 |
| Automotive Body, Paint, Interior, and Glass Repair | $47,840 |
| Other Support Services | $47,150 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing | $46,920 |
| Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | $46,810 |
| Construction | $46,790 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | $46,660 |
| Educational Services | $46,580 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | $46,460 |
| Educational Support Services | $46,060 |
| Manufacturing | $46,010 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | $45,930 |
| Chemical Manufacturing | $45,930 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | $45,910 |
| Engineering Services | $45,910 |
| Publishing Industries | $45,750 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities | $45,720 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities | $45,720 |
| Information | $45,720 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | $45,440 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $45,330 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $45,330 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | $45,330 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4242 and 4246 only) | $45,160 |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | $45,000 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | $44,990 |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | $44,830 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) | $44,810 |
| Newspaper Publishers | $44,710 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | $44,370 |
| Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | $44,370 |
| Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | $44,200 |
| Business Support Services | $43,890 |
| Direct Health and Medical Insurance Carriers | $43,840 |
| Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $43,490 |
| Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | $43,330 |
| Textile Mills | $43,330 |
| Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | $43,270 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | $43,200 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $42,620 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | $42,620 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods | $42,450 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | $42,390 |
| Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $42,160 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | $42,070 |
| Food Manufacturing | $41,990 |
| Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers | $41,550 |
| Religious Organizations | $41,050 |
| Textile Furnishings Mills | $40,800 |
| Rubber Product Manufacturing | $40,740 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | $40,450 |
| Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries | $40,010 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $39,990 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | $39,600 |
| Specialized Design Services | $39,490 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $39,350 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $39,350 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | $39,230 |
| Wood Product Manufacturing | $39,180 |
| Textile Product Mills | $39,080 |
| Other Wood Product Manufacturing | $38,960 |
| Other Textile Product Mills | $38,750 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | $38,720 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $38,710 |
| Wholesale Trade | $38,710 |
| Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers | $38,710 |
| Miscellaneous Store Retailers (4594 and 4595 only) | $38,680 |
| Apparel Manufacturing | $38,490 |
| Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | $38,410 |
| Social Assistance | $38,350 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $38,350 |
| General Merchandise Retailers | $38,190 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $37,930 |
| Warehousing and Storage | $37,930 |
| Retail Trade | $37,820 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers | $37,720 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | $37,670 |
| Administrative and Support Services | $37,670 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | $37,410 |
| Book Retailers and News Dealers | $37,390 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods | $37,160 |
| Photographic Services | $37,120 |
| Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers | $37,090 |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers | $37,070 |
| Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4241, 4247, and 4249 only) | $37,040 |
| Sporting Goods Retailers | $36,870 |
| Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers | $36,620 |
| Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers | $36,620 |
| Other Miscellaneous Retailers | $36,590 |
| Personal and Laundry Services | $35,980 |
| Employment Services | $35,320 |
| Temporary Help Services | $35,000 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | $34,540 |
| Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries | $34,190 |
| Spectator Sports | $33,340 |
National Wage Trend
View data table
| Year | Median Annual |
|---|---|
| 2024 | $45,160 |
| 2023 | $41,860 |
| 2022 | $39,350 |
| 2021 | $37,770 |
| 2020 | $37,880 |
| 2019 | $36,910 |
| 2018 | $36,220 |
| 2017 | $35,760 |
| 2016 | $35,530 |
| 2015 | $35,240 |
| 2014 | $35,100 |