What do they do?

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

Also known as:

Digital Press Operator, Flexo Press Operator, Flexographic Press Operator, Flexographic Printing Press Operator, Lithographic Press Operator, Offset Press Operator, Offset Pressman, Press Operator, Press Technician, Pressman, Print Press Operator, Printer, Printing Press Operator, Printing Pressman, Sheetfed Press Operator, Typesetter, Web Offset Press Feeder, Web Press Operator

Typical Wages

Projected Growth Rate

Employment of Printing Press Operators is projected to Decline 8 percent from 2022 to 2032

Projected Employment For All United States

No Data Available
  • -8.5%

    Change

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    14,400

    Job Openings

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Education Level

Percent of workers in this field with these degrees:

  • High school diploma equivalent  (46%)
  • Some college, no degree  (23%)
  • Less than high school diploma  (12%)
  • Associate's degree  (9%)
  • Bachelor's degree  (8%)
  • Master's degree  (<1%)
  • Doctorate or Professional Degree  (<1%)

Typical College Majors

Most Popular Majors that prepare Printing Press Operators

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People in this career often have these skills:

  • Quality Control Analysis - Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Operations Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

People in this career often know a lot about:

  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

People in this career often have talent in:

  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

People in this career often do these activities:

  • Inspected printed materials or other images to verify quality.
  • Operate photographic developing or print production equipment.
  • Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
  • Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
  • Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
  • Evaluate quality of materials or products.
  • Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
  • Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
  • Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
  • Load materials into production equipment.
  • Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
  • Download data.
  • Clean production equipment.
  • Install mechanical components in production equipment.
  • Mix ingredients to create specific finishes.
  • Program equipment to perform production tasks.
  • Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
  • Lubricate production equipment.
  • Direct operational or production activities.
  • Record operational or production data.
  • Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
  • Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
  • Monitor environmental impacts of production or development activities.
  • Operate cutting equipment.

This page includes data from:

O*NET OnLine Career data: O*NET 28.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Logo Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics

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