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Skilled Trades

Print Binding and Finishing Workers

Bind books and other publications or finish printed products by hand or machine. May set up binding and finishing machines.

Median salary (BLS)

$42,290

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$32k – $59k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

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Education

Typical entry: No degree required

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How to qualify

EstimateLicense required

Cost to qualify

$100–$2,600

Time to qualify

3.1 yr

Renewal

$50/yr

  1. 1

    Registered apprenticeship (paid)

    Experience

    Earn-while-you-learn training — apprentices are paid during the program; fees are tools/books, not tuition.

    $0–$2,000 · 36 months · varies by state source

  2. 2

    Journeyman exam & state/local license

    License

    Most states and municipalities test and license journeyman-level trades workers.

    $100–$600 · 1 months · varies by state · renews every 2 yr source

Estimated typical U.S. route for "Print Binding and Finishing Workers" — built from BLS education requirements and College Board 2024–25 average published prices (public, in-state tuition + fees + books). Not yet verified against a specific state's licensing rules — confirm with your state licensing board or program.

Typical progression

  1. Junior Print Binding and Finishing Workers

    Entry / Junior

    $32,220

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Print Binding and Finishing Workers

    Established

    $42,290

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Print Binding and Finishing Workers

    Senior

    $50,720

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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Reputation-based selection; stats shown are outcome data per school.