Home / Apprenticeships / Occupations / Printing Press Operators
Printing Press Operators: apprenticeship hours and pay
O*NET-SOC 51-5112.00
Approved titles
21
RAPIDS codes
Shortest term
2,000 h
longest minimum 12,000 h
National median pay
$45,780
a year, BLS May 2025
Jobs nationally
144,260
BLS May 2025
Approved apprenticeship titles
- Training approaches
- competency-based, hybrid, time-based
- Shortest approved term
- 2,000 hours, LITHOGRAPH PRESS OPERATOR (competency-based)
- State medians
- $116,630 in District of Columbia to $26,100 in Puerto Rico (53 states publish one)
| Title | RAPIDS code | Approach and term |
|---|---|---|
| Assistant Press Operator | 0903 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| Ben-Day Artist | 0887 | Competency-Based: 12,000 hours Hybrid: 12,000 to 15,000 hours Time-Based: 12,000 hours |
| CYLINDER PRESS OPERATOR | 0677 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| EMBOSSER | 0704 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| EMBOSSING-PRESS OPERATOR | 0684 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| ENGRAVER, MACHINE | 0963 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| ENGRAVING PRESS OPERATOR | 0915 | Competency-Based: 6,000 hours Hybrid: 6,000 to 7,500 hours Time-Based: 6,000 hours |
| Job Printer | 0262 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| LETTERER (Profess & Kin) | 0280 | Competency-Based: 4,000 hours Hybrid: 4,000 to 5,000 hours Time-Based: 4,000 hours |
| LITHOGRAPH PRESS OPERATOR | 0683 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 4,000 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| Offset Press Op Dial | 0362 | Competency-Based: 2,000 hours Hybrid: 2,000 to 2,500 hours Time-Based: 2,000 hours |
| Offset Pressperson (Existing Title: Offset Press Operator 1) | 0361 | Competency-Based: 5,568 hours Hybrid: 5,568 to 6,960 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours Time-Based (V2): 5,568 hours |
| PLATEN-PRESS OPERATOR | 0430 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| PRINTER, PLASTIC | 0452 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| PRINTER-SLOTTER OPERATOR | 0451 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| PROOF-PRESS OPERATOR | 0288 | Competency-Based: 10,000 hours Hybrid: 10,000 to 12,500 hours Time-Based: 10,000 hours |
| ROTOGRAVURE-PRESS OPERATOR | 0481 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| SKETCH MAKER I (Print & Pub) | 0448 | Competency-Based: 10,000 hours Hybrid: 10,000 to 12,500 hours Time-Based: 10,000 hours |
| STEEL-DIE PRINTER | 0785 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| Wallpaper Printer I | 0612 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
| Web-Press Operator | 0667 | Competency-Based: 8,000 hours Hybrid: 8,000 to 10,000 hours Time-Based: 8,000 hours |
What printing press operators earn, by state
| State | Median pay | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $116,630 | $56.07 | 350 |
| Massachusetts | $53,050 | $25.51 | 2,110 |
| New Jersey | $50,430 | $24.25 | 4,180 |
| Washington | $49,800 | $23.94 | 2,310 |
| Oregon | $48,760 | $23.44 | 1,330 |
| Minnesota | $48,560 | $23.35 | 4,960 |
| New Hampshire | $48,410 | $23.27 | 680 |
| Kentucky | $48,000 | $23.08 | 2,470 |
| Colorado | $47,860 | $23.01 | 1,830 |
| New York | $47,860 | $23.01 | 6,700 |
| Maryland | $47,840 | $23.00 | 1,250 |
| Maine | $47,430 | $22.80 | 300 |
| Wisconsin | $47,330 | $22.76 | 8,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $47,010 | $22.60 | 7,150 |
| Arkansas | $46,470 | $22.34 | 1,760 |
| Alaska | $46,460 | $22.34 | 170 |
| Vermont | $46,460 | $22.34 | 190 |
| Illinois | $46,260 | $22.24 | 9,550 |
| Missouri | $46,130 | $22.18 | 3,460 |
| California | $46,110 | $22.17 | 12,320 |
| Ohio | $45,760 | $22.00 | 7,500 |
| Connecticut | $45,670 | $21.96 | 1,610 |
| North Carolina | $45,630 | $21.94 | 3,910 |
| Hawaii | $45,390 | $21.82 | 350 |
| Rhode Island | $45,380 | $21.82 | 510 |
| Michigan | $45,280 | $21.77 | 5,110 |
| Indiana | $45,230 | $21.74 | 4,820 |
| South Dakota | $44,930 | $21.60 | 460 |
| Delaware | $44,600 | $21.44 | 210 |
| Virginia | $44,020 | $21.16 | 3,210 |
| Nevada | $43,500 | $20.91 | 1,360 |
| Tennessee | $43,160 | $20.75 | 3,510 |
| Arizona | $42,950 | $20.65 | 2,400 |
| Texas | $42,550 | $20.46 | 9,110 |
| Montana | $42,220 | $20.30 | 300 |
| Nebraska | $42,070 | $20.23 | 2,140 |
| Kansas | $41,890 | $20.14 | 2,640 |
| Georgia | $41,520 | $19.96 | 4,220 |
| West Virginia | $41,200 | $19.81 | 470 |
| Florida | $41,180 | $19.80 | 7,060 |
| Utah | $41,030 | $19.72 | 1,970 |
| Iowa | $40,790 | $19.61 | 2,070 |
| Wyoming | $40,760 | $19.60 | 90 |
| South Carolina | $40,470 | $19.46 | 2,100 |
| Idaho | $38,650 | $18.58 | 610 |
| Mississippi | $38,400 | $18.46 | 670 |
| North Dakota | $37,850 | $18.20 | 270 |
| Louisiana | $37,650 | $18.10 | 870 |
| New Mexico | $37,110 | $17.84 | 250 |
| Oklahoma | $36,760 | $17.67 | 1,140 |
| Alabama | $36,670 | $17.63 | 2,160 |
| Guam | $32,240 | $15.50 | 100 |
| Puerto Rico | $26,100 | $12.55 | 520 |
Finding a program
How to find a sponsor that trains this title · Apprenticeship sponsors by state (25,633) · All approved occupations
- Approved titles and terms: apprenticeship.gov approved occupations list, Last-Modified October 8, 2026, read October 8, 2026.
- Pay and jobs: BLS OEWS, May 2025, all industries, read October 8, 2026.