Occupation overview

Printing Press Operators Salary in the United States

The median annual wage for printing press operators is $45,780, or $22.01 per hour. About 144,260 people work in this occupation nationwide. Wages vary substantially by state — from $116,630 in District of Columbia to $36,670 in Alabama.

Median annual
$45,780
Median hourly
$22.01
Entry level (P10)
$33,330
Top 10% (P90)
$63,520
Employment
144,260
States covered
51

Wage distribution nationwide

Earnings spread across all U.S. workers in this occupation.

10th percentile90th percentile
$33,330
$37,390
$45,780
$55,740
$33,330$45,780$63,520
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $45,780.

Salary by state

All 51 states with published data, ranked by median annual wage.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmployment Location quotient
1District of Columbia$116,630$56.073500.54
2Massachusetts$53,050$25.512,1100.62
3New Jersey$50,430$24.254,1801.05
4Washington$49,800$23.942,3100.70
5Oregon$48,760$23.441,3300.73
6Minnesota$48,560$23.354,9601.81
7New Hampshire$48,410$23.276801.07
8Kentucky$48,000$23.082,4701.33
9New York$47,860$23.016,7000.75
10Colorado$47,860$23.011,8300.69
11Maryland$47,840$23.001,2500.49
12Maine$47,430$22.803000.50
13Wisconsin$47,330$22.768,1202.97
14Pennsylvania$47,010$22.607,1501.27
15Arkansas$46,470$22.341,7601.46
16Vermont$46,460$22.341900.67
17Alaska$46,460$22.341700.57
18Illinois$46,260$22.249,5501.69
19Missouri$46,130$22.183,4601.27
20California$46,110$22.1712,3200.73
21Ohio$45,760$22.007,5001.46
22Connecticut$45,670$21.961,6101.02
23North Carolina$45,630$21.943,9100.85
24Hawaii$45,390$21.823500.60
25Rhode Island$45,380$21.825101.11
26Michigan$45,280$21.775,1101.25
27Indiana$45,230$21.744,8201.62
28South Dakota$44,930$21.604601.08
29Delaware$44,600$21.442100.48
30Virginia$44,020$21.163,2100.84
31Nevada$43,500$20.911,3600.94
32Tennessee$43,160$20.753,5101.16
33Arizona$42,950$20.652,4000.80
34Texas$42,550$20.469,1100.70
35Montana$42,220$20.303000.63
36Nebraska$42,070$20.232,1402.25
37Kansas$41,890$20.142,6401.98
38Georgia$41,520$19.964,2200.93
39West Virginia$41,200$19.814700.72
40Florida$41,180$19.807,0600.77
41Utah$41,030$19.721,9701.22
42Iowa$40,790$19.612,0701.43
43Wyoming$40,760$19.60900.36
44South Carolina$40,470$19.462,1000.98
45Idaho$38,650$18.586100.77
46Mississippi$38,400$18.466700.62
47North Dakota$37,850$18.202700.67
48Louisiana$37,650$18.108700.48
49New Mexico$37,110$17.842500.31
50Oklahoma$36,760$17.671,1400.72
51Alabama$36,670$17.632,1601.10

Related occupations

Same job family, ranked by national employment.

Frequently asked questions

How much do printing press operators make?

The median annual wage for printing press operators in the United States is $45,780, or $22.01 per hour. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) earn $33,330, and the top 10% earn $63,520.

How many printing press operators are employed in the U.S.?

About 144,260 people work as printing press operators nationwide.

Which state pays printing press operators the most?

District of Columbia pays the most at a median of $116,630, followed by Massachusetts ($53,050) and New Jersey ($50,430).

Which state pays printing press operators the least?

Alabama has the lowest median at $36,670.

Where are printing press operators jobs most concentrated?

The location quotient measures employment concentration relative to the national average. The highest is Wisconsin at 2.97×.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Retrieved 2026-10-26. bls.gov/oes