Occupational Employment Statistics

DETAILED OCCUPATION DATA

51-5112 Printing Press Operators

Occupational Description:
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.

Occupational Employment Statistics(OES) Wage Data
First Quarter 2020

Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Percentiles
Geography	Employment	Emp SE*	Mean	10th	25th	Median	75th	90th
Southeast Minnesota	250	77	$22.67/hr	$15.55/hr	$18.25/hr	$22.08/hr	$27.01/hr	$31.29/hr

Leading Industries for Printing Press Operators

Industry	OES Employment (Statewide)	OES Median Wage (Statewide)
Manufacturing	4,690	$21.36/hr
Trade, Transportation and Utilities	230	$18.86/hr
Information	280	$19.22/hr
Financial Activities	N/A	N/A
Professional and Business Services	930	$18.48/hr
Education and Health Services	N/A	$27.23/hr
Other Services	N/A	N/A
Public Administration	N/A	N/A

Other Regional Data for Printing Press Operators

Geography	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2016-2026
Northeast Balance of State	N/A	$16.65/hr	N/A
Grand Forks ND-MN MSA	20	$21.63/hr	N/A
Rochester MN MSA	50	$26.56/hr	N/A
Duluth MN-WI MSA	120	$17.94/hr	N/A
Northeast Minnesota	140	$17.46/hr	-27.1%
Fargo ND-MN MSA	220	$14.99/hr	N/A
Southwest Balance of State	220	$15.64/hr	N/A
Southeast Minnesota	250	$22.08/hr	1.8%
Southeast Balance of State	270	$21.08/hr	N/A
La Crosse WI-MN MSA	330	$16.56/hr	N/A
St Cloud MN MSA	340	$19.98/hr	N/A
Mankato-North Mankato MN MSA	410	$18.80/hr	N/A
Northwest Balance of State	550	$17.77/hr	N/A
Northwest Minnesota	560	$17.81/hr	1.9%
Central Minnesota	600	$19.04/hr	-11.0%
Southwest Minnesota	690	$17.96/hr	-10.2%
Seven County Mpls-St Paul, MN	3,990	$22.25/hr	-6.8%
Minneapolis-St Paul-Bloomington MN-WI MSA	4,250	$21.99/hr	N/A
Minnesota	6,180	$20.68/hr	-5.8%

Related Occupations

Occupations	Employment	Median Wage	Projections % Change 2016-2026
Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	2,720	$18.44/hr	-4.3%
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	1,730	$20.65/hr	-0.4%
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	2,010	$18.68/hr	-9.1%
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	140	$19.81/hr	-12.7%
Extruding and Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Synthetic and Glass Fibers	N/A	N/A	N/A
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	5,400	$20.74/hr	-4.0%
Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners	100	$19.09/hr	7.7%
Print Binding and Finishing Workers	2,490	$18.09/hr	-5.9%
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers	10,020	$22.42/hr	6.8%
Furniture Finishers	560	$18.26/hr	0.4%

Task for Printing Press Operators

Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
Adjust ink fountain flow rates.
Secure printing plates to printing units and adjust tolerances.
Clean or oil presses or make minor repairs, using hand tools.
Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
Start presses and pull proofs to check for ink coverage and density, alignment, and registration.
Examine job orders to determine quantities to be printed, stock specifications, colors, or special printing instructions.
Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls.
Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required.
Examine job orders to determine quantities to be printed, stock specifications, colors, or special printing instructions.