Prepress Technicians and Workers Salary - BLS OEWS Wage Benchmarks
SOC 51-5111 · National · May 2025 OEWS Data
Median Annual Salary
$48,693
$23.41/hr
Verified BLS OEWS data · Updated May 18, 2026
Source: BLS OEWS · Published May 15, 2026
Next refresh: May 2027
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The national median salary for Prepress Technicians and Workers is $48,693 per year ($23.41/hr) according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025. The middle 50% of earners make between $40,934 and $58,573 annually. Top earners at the 90th percentile reach $66,082 per year. There are approximately 23,840 prepress technicians and workers employed in the United States.
About This Role
BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018
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.
Career Outlook
BLS Employment Projections · 2024-2034
10-year growth
-14.6%
Much slower than average
Annual openings
3K
per year, on avg
Workforce today
26K
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
Postsecondary nondegree award
Experience
None
On-the-job training
None
Industry Wage Breakdown
Top 5 industries by employment · median annual wage, sector-specific
Industry
Workforce
Median Pay
Printing and Related Support Activities
NAICS 323100
14K
$47,740
Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers
NAICS 513100
2K
$49,130
Converted Paper Product Manufacturing
NAICS 322200
1K
$54,160
Plastics Product Manufacturing
NAICS 326100
960
$52,770
Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services
NAICS 541800
820
$39,810
Wage range across top 5 industries: $39,810 to $54,160 (36% spread)
Wage Percentiles
Hourly & annualized (2,080 hours)
Percentile
Hourly Rate
Annual Salary
P10
$17.22
$35,818
P25
$19.68
$40,934
P50MEDIAN
$23.41
$48,693
P75
$28.16
$58,573
P90
$31.77
$66,082
Market Context Signal
JOLTS · manufacturing sector
Stable
Openings Rate
3.5%
Quits Rate
1.4%
Manufacturing openings ticked up to 462K (+19K) in March, with the rate at 3.5%. Hires rose to 310K. The sector has stabilized after late-2025 softening.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average prepress technicians and workers salary?
The national median salary for Prepress Technicians and Workers is $48,693 per year ($23.41/hr) according to BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The middle 50% earn between $40,934 and $58,573 annually.
How much do top-earning prepress technicians and workers make?
The 90th percentile salary for Prepress Technicians and Workers is $66,082 per year ($31.77/hr). The 75th percentile is $58,573 per year.
What is the entry-level salary for prepress technicians and workers?
Entry-level Prepress Technicians and Workers (10th percentile) earn approximately $35,818 per year ($17.22/hr). The 25th percentile is $40,934 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.
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