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Printing Management

Types of Degrees Printing Management Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Printing Management can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	59

What Printing Management Majors Need to Know

Studies in Printing Management develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Printing Management graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Printing Management emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Design — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a Printing Management program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Monitoring — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Printing Management careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Visualization — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3 / 7.
• Visual Color Discrimination — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Printing Management graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.8 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.7 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.6 / 7
Scheduling Work and Activities	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Printing Management professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Corel CorelDraw Graphics Suite	Graphics or photo imaging software	—
Adobe PageMaker	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Adobe Photoshop	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
QuarkXPress	Desktop publishing software	—
Adobe InDesign	Desktop publishing software	✓
Adobe Illustrator	Graphics or photo imaging software	✓
Corel Painter	Graphics or photo imaging software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Printing Management graduates include:

• Digital Print Operator
• Electrotyper
• Typesetter
• Pantograph Setter
• Press Technician
• Lithographing Machine Operator
• Stereotyper
• Steel Die Printer
• Letterpress Setter
• Print Operator
• Press Operator
• Digital Press Operator
• Striping Machine Operator
• Roller Print Tender
• Lithographic Press Operator

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Printing Management graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	44.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	19.7%
Some college courses	18.5%
Postsecondary certificate	11.0%
Bachelor’s degree	4.4%
Less than a high school diploma	2.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Printing Management?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 64.4% of Printing Management degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	38	64.4%
Men	21	35.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Printing Management graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	52	88.1%
Asian	1	1.7%
Hispanic or Latino	3	5.1%
Black or African American	1	1.7%
Two or More Races	2	3.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Printing Management Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Printing Management graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$28,061
4 years	$41,119
5 years	$47,590

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $47,590 — roughly 70% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in Printing Management Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Printing Management graduates earn a median of $41,119 four years after completion — roughly 8% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Graphic Communications	10.03
Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects	10.0304
Computer Typography and Composition Equipment Operator	10.0308
Graphic and Printing Equipment Operator, General Production	10.0305
Graphic Communications, General	10.0301
Graphic Communications, Other	10.0399
Platemaker/Imager	10.0306
Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design	10.0303
Printing Press Operator	10.0307

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.