Printing Press Operators Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for printing press operatorss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- District of Columbia$104,930
- New Jersey$55,600
- Massachusetts$55,430
- Washington$53,310
- Minnesota$52,390
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Oklahoma$38,200
- Alabama$38,700
- Louisiana$40,130
- Idaho$40,810
- New Mexico$41,400
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $104,930 | $116,630 | $50 | +121.6% | 350 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $55,600 | $50,430 | $27 | +17.4% | 4,180 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $55,430 | $53,050 | $27 | +17% | 2,110 |
| 4 | Washington | $53,310 | $49,800 | $26 | +12.6% | 2,310 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $52,390 | $48,560 | $25 | +10.6% | 4,960 |
| 6 | New York | $50,990 | $47,860 | $25 | +7.7% | 6,700 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $50,680 | $45,380 | $24 | +7% | 510 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $50,280 | $48,410 | $24 | +6.2% | 680 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $50,220 | $47,330 | $24 | +6% | 8,120 |
| 10 | Oregon | $50,200 | $48,760 | $24 | +6% | 1,330 |
| 11 | Maryland | $50,180 | $47,840 | $24 | +6% | 1,250 |
| 12 | Vermont | $49,950 | $46,460 | $24 | +5.5% | 190 |
| 13 | Kentucky | $49,510 | $48,000 | $24 | +4.5% | 2,470 |
| 14 | Colorado | $49,120 | $47,860 | $24 | +3.7% | 1,830 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $48,880 | $45,670 | $24 | +3.2% | 1,610 |
| 16 | Maine | $48,770 | $47,430 | $23 | +3% | 300 |
| 17 | Illinois | $48,590 | $46,260 | $23 | +2.6% | 9,550 |
| 18 | California | $48,370 | $46,110 | $23 | +2.1% | 12,320 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $47,940 | $47,010 | $23 | +1.2% | 7,150 |
| 20 | Alaska | $47,750 | $46,460 | $23 | +0.8% | 170 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $47,640 | $46,470 | $23 | +0.6% | 1,760 |
| 22 | Missouri | $47,560 | $46,130 | $23 | +0.4% | 3,460 |
| 23 | Indiana | $46,860 | $45,230 | $23 | -1.1% | 4,820 |
| 24 | Hawaii | $46,610 | $45,390 | $22 | -1.6% | 350 |
| 25 | Michigan | $46,230 | $45,280 | $22 | -2.4% | 5,110 |
| 26 | Ohio | $46,210 | $45,760 | $22 | -2.4% | 7,500 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $46,110 | $44,930 | $22 | -2.6% | 460 |
| 28 | Nevada | $46,020 | $43,500 | $22 | -2.8% | 1,360 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $45,840 | $45,630 | $22 | -3.2% | 3,910 |
| 30 | Virginia | $45,650 | $44,020 | $22 | -3.6% | 3,210 |
| 31 | Texas | $45,430 | $42,550 | $22 | -4.1% | 9,110 |
| 32 | Delaware | $45,140 | $44,600 | $22 | -4.7% | 210 |
| 33 | Nebraska | $44,860 | $42,070 | $22 | -5.3% | 2,140 |
| 34 | Arizona | $44,830 | $42,950 | $22 | -5.3% | 2,400 |
| 35 | Utah | $43,830 | $41,030 | $21 | -7.5% | 1,970 |
| 36 | Tennessee | $43,810 | $43,160 | $21 | -7.5% | 3,510 |
| 37 | Georgia | $43,300 | $41,520 | $21 | -8.6% | 4,220 |
| 38 | Iowa | $42,860 | $40,790 | $21 | -9.5% | 2,070 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $42,850 | $40,470 | $21 | -9.5% | 2,100 |
| 40 | Florida | $42,840 | $41,180 | $21 | -9.5% | 7,060 |
| 41 | West Virginia | $42,710 | $41,200 | $21 | -9.8% | 470 |
| 42 | Montana | $42,660 | $42,220 | $21 | -9.9% | 300 |
| 43 | Mississippi | $42,380 | $38,400 | $20 | -10.5% | 670 |
| 44 | Kansas | $42,350 | $41,890 | $20 | -10.6% | 2,640 |
| 45 | North Dakota | $41,960 | $37,850 | $20 | -11.4% | 270 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $41,890 | $40,760 | $20 | -11.5% | 90 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $41,400 | $37,110 | $20 | -12.6% | 250 |
| 48 | Idaho | $40,810 | $38,650 | $20 | -13.8% | 610 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $40,130 | $37,650 | $19 | -15.3% | 870 |
| 50 | Alabama | $38,700 | $36,670 | $19 | -18.3% | 2,160 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $38,200 | $36,760 | $18 | -19.3% | 1,140 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 404 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harrisonburg, VA | $64,180 | $56,100 | 130 |
| 2 | Rochester, MN | $59,200 | $56,720 | 90 |
| 3 | Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA | $58,850 | $56,800 | 70 |
| 4 | Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | $58,750 | $55,630 | 610 |
| 5 | Connecticut nonmetropolitan area | $57,960 | $54,790 | 50 |
| 6 | Fort Smith, AR-OK | $56,350 | $53,860 | 180 |
| 7 | Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $55,920 | $55,500 | 180 |
| 8 | Springfield, MA | $55,740 | $54,590 | 270 |
| 9 | Manchester-Nashua, NH | $54,230 | $53,920 | 240 |
| 10 | Worcester, MA | $53,210 | $54,780 | 210 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing printing press operatorss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) | $130,850 | $120,460 | 550 |
| 2 | Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | $130,850 | $117,800 | 580 |
| 3 | Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries | $73,920 | $65,200 | 60 |
| 4 | Other Amusement and Recreation Industries | $73,920 | $69,790 | 50 |
| 5 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | $66,800 | $63,850 | 30 |
| 6 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | $66,800 | $63,850 | 30 |
| 7 | Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS | $66,230 | $80,750 | 1,500 |
| 8 | Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS | $66,230 | $80,750 | 1,500 |
| 9 | Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations | $62,320 | $63,360 | 50 |
| 10 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | $61,490 | $64,410 | 370 |
| 11 | Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | $61,400 | $62,940 | 450 |
| 12 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | $58,610 | $61,270 | 570 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do printing press operators make in the U.S.?
The median printing press operators salary in the United States is $45,780 per year (mean $47,360), and about 80% earn between $33,330 and $63,520.
How much do printing press operators make per hour?
Roughly $23 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $47,360 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays printing press operators the most?
District of Columbia has the highest average pay for printing press operators at $104,930 per year (median $116,630).
What is the job outlook for printing press operators?
Employment is projected to change -8.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 13,700 openings per year.