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Printing Press Operator

Types of Degrees Printing Press Operator Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Printing Press Operator have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	11
Master’s Degree	1

What Printing Press Operator Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Printing Press Operator 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

Skills emphasized by a Printing Press Operator program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Printing Press Operator 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 Press Operator 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 Press Operator professionals:

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

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Printing Press Operator graduates include:

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

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Printing Press Operator 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 Press Operator?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 41.7% women and 58.3% men among Printing Press Operator graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	5	41.7%
Men	7	58.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	8	66.7%
Hispanic or Latino	2	16.7%
Black or African American	2	16.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Printing Press Operator Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Printing Press Operator graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb 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 Press Operator Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Printing Press Operator 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 Management	10.0302

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.