by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in Printing Press Operator covers Printing Press Operator. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Apply Technical Knowledge And Skills To Set Up, Operate, And Maintain Printing Presses. Continue reading for the essential details every printing press operator student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering printing press operator programs.
Nationwide, printing press operator draws strong interest, with 12 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Printing Press Operator Schools ranking analyzes these 2 schools to determine the best overall colleges for printing press operator students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of printing press operator programs later in this article.
Programs in Printing Press Operator develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations printing press operator graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a printing press operator program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Per O*NET surveys, a printing press operator major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several printing press operator degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 11 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 1 |
People currently working in careers related to printing press operator tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage 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% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in printing press operator careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying printing press operator can lead to numerous career paths. These are some of the most common occupations related to printing press operator.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to printing press operator.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Prepress Technicians and Workers | 442,588 | 12.2% |
| Printing Press Operators | 78,762 | 12.3% |
College Scorecard reports median earnings of printing press operator graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $28,061 |
| 4 years | $41,119 |
| 5 years | $47,590 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for printing press operator graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers printing press operator grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Printing Press Operators | $31,814 |
| Prepress Technicians and Workers | $25,852 |
With 2 different printing press operator programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased printing press operator school rankings to help you.
Those considering printing press operator, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
