Prepress Technicians and Workers: Career Overview
Format and proof text and images submitted by designers and clients into finished pages that can be printed. Includes digital and photo typesetting. May produce printing plates.
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The Daily Work of Prepress Technicians and Workers Perform?
The core tasks performed by prepress technicians and workers include:
- Generate prepress proofs in digital or other format to approximate the appearance of the final printed piece.
- Proofread and perform quality control of text and images.
- Enter, position, and alter text size, using computers, to make up and arrange pages so that printed materials can be produced.
- Perform "preflight" check of required font, graphic, text and image files to ensure completeness prior to delivery to printer.
- Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment that converts electronic data to plates without the use of film.
- Enter, store, and retrieve information on computer-aided equipment.
- Maintain, adjust, and clean equipment, and perform minor repairs.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful prepress technicians and workers rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Ad Compositor
- Ad Setter
- Advertisement Compositor
- Advertising Layout Worker
- Bankman
- Blueprint Blocker
- Blueprint Cutter
- Blueprint Developer
Job Outlook
There are about 394,314 prepress technicians and workers working in the United States today. This occupation is expected to grow by +12.2% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Prepress Technicians and Workers Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $25,852 |
| Hourly median | $12.43 |
| 10th percentile | $20,000 |
| 25th percentile | $22,000 |
| 75th percentile | $30,072 |
| 90th percentile | $34,292 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Prepress Technicians and Workers Salary by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $98,780 |
| New Jersey | $59,210 |
| Delaware | $58,470 |
| Massachusetts | $57,930 |
| Oregon | $57,140 |
| Nevada | $56,410 |
| Illinois | $55,490 |
| Colorado | $51,090 |
| Washington | $50,810 |
| Maryland | $50,690 |
| California | $49,850 |
| Vermont | $49,430 |
| North Carolina | $49,210 |
| Georgia | $48,630 |
| New York | $48,480 |
| Michigan | $48,250 |
| Montana | $48,210 |
| Missouri | $48,070 |
| Arizona | $47,840 |
| Virginia | $47,730 |
| Indiana | $47,450 |
| Pennsylvania | $46,990 |
| Ohio | $46,880 |
| New Hampshire | $46,770 |
| Wisconsin | $46,600 |
| Tennessee | $46,560 |
| Maine | $46,350 |
| Idaho | $46,230 |
| Florida | $46,050 |
| Kansas | $45,900 |
| Iowa | $45,850 |
| Minnesota | $45,520 |
| Kentucky | $44,850 |
| South Carolina | $44,800 |
| Connecticut | $44,740 |
| Rhode Island | $44,130 |
| Arkansas | $43,520 |
| Texas | $40,800 |
| Nebraska | $39,620 |
| Louisiana | $38,030 |
| Utah | $37,590 |
| South Dakota | $37,560 |
| Alabama | $34,980 |
| West Virginia | $34,320 |
| Mississippi | $33,550 |
| Puerto Rico | $28,880 |
| Oklahoma | $22,170 |
Where Prepress Technicians and Workers Earn the Most
Compensation for prepress technicians and workers differ across the country. The following regions pay the most:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Atlantic | $53,297 | 13.1% | 0.85 |
| New England | $50,801 | 5.7% | 1.39 |
| Far Western US | $50,793 | 13.2% | 0.79 |
| Great Lakes | $48,916 | 21.9% | 1.84 |
| Southeast | $45,952 | 21.1% | 1.23 |
| Plains States | $45,797 | 13.0% | 2.64 |
| Rocky Mountains | $44,067 | 2.7% | 0.78 |
| Southwest | $40,212 | 8.6% | 0.76 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $64,320 | 440 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $61,210 | 130 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $58,340 | 380 |
| Springfield, MA | MA | $58,050 | 70 |
| Reno, NV | NV | $57,650 | 40 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | OR | $57,560 | 180 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | IL | $56,410 | 910 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | NV | $56,410 | 100 |
Top Industries Employing Prepress Technicians and Workers
The largest employers of prepress technicians and workers are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 17,780 | $48,070 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 1,500 | $42,050 |
| Information | 1,050 | $39,380 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 750 | $39,620 |
| Wholesale Trade | 380 | $40,280 |
| Retail Trade | 230 | $35,360 |
| Educational Services | 210 | $57,130 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 70 | $44,800 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
Daily working conditions for prepress technicians and workers reflects the following characteristics:
- Time Pressure
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How to Become Prepress Technicians and Workers
Entry-level prepress technicians and workers positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Medium Preparation Needed (Job Zone 3), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Calibration Technologists and Technicians (Supplemental)
- Special Effects Artists and Animators (Supplemental)
- Desktop Publishers (Supplemental)
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer (Primary-Short)
- Camera and Photographic Equipment Repairers (Supplemental)
- Electromechanical Equipment Assemblers (Supplemental)
- Extruding and Drawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic (Primary-Long)
Degree Programs
Future prepress technicians and workers typically earn programs in:
Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services
8 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 51-5111.00 (Prepress Technicians and Workers).
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