by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 2 U.S. colleges awarded 9 degrees and certificates in Printing Press Operator. Bachelor’s degrees are the most popular award, at 78% of graduates. Graduates earn a median $28,094 one year after completing, rising to $44,537 after four years.
A 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.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Nationwide, printing press operator draws strong interest, with 9 degrees awarded annually. 2 colleges award printing press operator degrees, an average of 4 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 7.
By level, the 9 awards include 7 bachelor’s degrees and 2 master’s degrees.
Women earned 56% of printing press operator degrees and certificates in the latest year (5 of 9). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (7) and Black or African American (1).
The most common printing press operator credential is the bachelor’s degree: 7 of the 9 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to printing press operator call most for Monitoring, Time Management and Critical Thinking, and for knowledge of Computers and Electronics, English Language and Production and Processing, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Near Vision, Problem Sensitivity and Visualization.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a printing press operator degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 7 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 2 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to printing press operator, at 44.4%.
| 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% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Printing Press Operator, with an average median salary of $28,833; the strongest outlook belongs to Printing Press Operators, at 12.3% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Lithographing Machine Operator, Print Operator, Lithographic Press Operator and Typesetter.
The occupation related to printing press operator with the most projected jobs is Prepress Technicians and Workers, at 442,588.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Prepress Technicians and Workers | 442,588 | 12.2% |
| Printing Press Operators | 78,762 | 12.3% |
Printing Press Operator graduates earn a median $28,094 one year after completing their program, $44,537 after four years and $47,560 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $28,094 |
| 4 years | $44,537 |
| 5 years | $47,560 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to printing press operator, with a median salary of $31,814.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Printing Press Operators | $31,814 |
| Prepress Technicians and Workers | $25,852 |
Printing Press Operator has 8 similar majors in the Communications Technology/Support field, which together award 9,149 degrees a year; the largest are Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects (6,864), Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design (1,335) and Graphic Communications, General (458). Browse all Communications Technology/Support majors or the full list of college majors.
More about our data sources and methodologies.