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The national median salary for Desktop Publishers is $55,286 per year ($26.58/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $43,722 and $73,840 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $96,158 per year. There are approximately 3,350 desktop publishers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-12.4%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
400
per year, on avg
Workforce today
5K
as of 2024
Why those openings exist
0% from new growth100% from people leaving the role
Most openings come from replacement, not growth. Retention matters more than recruiting here.
Typical entry requirements
Education
Associate's degree
Experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers
NAICS 513100
1K
$51,240
Management of Companies and Enterprises
NAICS 551100
100
$58,500
Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations
NAICS 813900
90
$78,710
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools
NAICS 611300
80
$52,720
Educational Support Services
NAICS 611700
80
$50,370
Wage range across top 5 industries: $50,370 to $78,710 (56% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.16
$35,693
P25
$21.02
$43,722
P50MEDIAN
$26.58
$55,286
P75
$35.50
$73,840
P90
$46.23
$96,158
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · other sector
Active
Openings Rate
3.4%
Quits Rate
2.0%
The labor market rebounded in March: hires jumped to 5.6M (+655K) and separations rose to 5.4M (+356K), both more than offsetting February's drop. Job openings held at 6.9M. Quits ticked to 2.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average desktop publishers salary?
The national median salary for Desktop Publishers is $55,286 per year ($26.58/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $43,722 and $73,840 annually.
How much do top-earning desktop publishers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Desktop Publishers is $96,158 per year ($46.23/hr). The 75th percentile is $73,840 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for desktop publishers?
Entry-level Desktop Publishers (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,693 per year ($17.16/hr). The 25th percentile is $43,722 per year.
Wage figures on this page come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. OEWS surveys roughly 1.1 million establishments annually. It is the most comprehensive employer-reported wage dataset in the United States.
P10 through P90 percentiles represent the wage distribution across all surveyed employers (not self-reported by workers). Geographic adjustments use BLS-derived cost multipliers calibrated from regional wage variation.
Wages are estimates. Individual compensation depends on experience, education, employer size, industry, and negotiation. Use this as benchmark context, not absolute ground truth.
CompSignal is a free labor market intelligence tool built for HR, compensation, and talent acquisition teams. We make BLS data, the same primary source Mercer and Radford cross-reference in their paid surveys, searchable and actionable without an enterprise subscription.
Built and maintained by Falcon Incentives, a compensation strategy and incentive design consultancy.