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Skilled Trades

Printing Press Operators

Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.

Median salary (BLS)

$45,780

10th–90th percentile (BLS)

$33k – $64k

Job outlook

No separate BLS projection for this specific role

AI exposure

Plan a path to Printing Press Operators

Qualification costsStack incomeBest cities/statesSchool ROIJob-posting fitTailored resume

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 "Printing Press Operators" — 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 Printing Press Operators

    Entry / Junior

    $33,330

    ~2 yrs to advance

  2. Printing Press Operators

    Established

    $45,780

    ~3 yrs to advance

  3. Senior Printing Press Operators

    Senior

    $54,650

Key skills

A typical day

  • •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.
  • •Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
  • •Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.

Fields of study

Any field

Top colleges for Skilled Trades

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