Prepress Technicians and Workers
Prepress Technicians and Workers (SOC 51-5111) earn a median $48,690 a year ($23.41 an hour) in the United States, with 23,840 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is District of Columbia.
What prepress technicians and workers do
Prepress technicians turn the text and images that clients and designers deliver into pages and plates that a printer can reproduce. They take the supplied files and, working on computers, position text, size type, and arrange page elements. A major step is the preflight check, which confirms that all fonts, graphics, text, and image files are present and usable before the job goes to the press. They proofread text and images and produce digital or other proofs that approximate how the final piece will look so clients can approve it. Some also work with laser plate-making equipment, which turns electronic data into printing plates without film. Information is entered, stored, and retrieved on computer-aided equipment, and equipment is cleaned, adjusted, and given minor repairs. The SOC definition includes digital and photo typesetting and covers photoengravers.
Typical entry: According to O*NET, a high school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education reported by workers in this occupation.
Also called: Ad Compositor, Ad Setter, Advertisement Compositor, Advertising Layout Worker, Bankman.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.22 | $19.68 | $23.41 | $28.16 | $31.77 | $24.43 | 23,840 |
| Annual | $35,810 | $40,930 | $48,690 | $58,580 | $66,080 | $50,800 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where prepress technicians and workers earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| District of Columbia | Hourly | $41.26 | $48.55 | $48.55 | $48.55 | $56.07 | $48.90 | 180 | 0.25 | 1.65 |
| Annual | $85,820 | $100,980 | $100,980 | $100,980 | $116,630 | $101,710 | ||||
| Maryland | Hourly | $18.26 | $21.64 | $29.22 | $33.21 | $36.53 | $27.69 | 480 | 0.17 | 1.14 |
| Annual | $37,970 | $45,000 | $60,770 | $69,090 | $75,980 | $57,600 | ||||
| Massachusetts | Hourly | $21.58 | $22.92 | $27.53 | $30.78 | $40.20 | $28.05 | 460 | 0.13 | 0.82 |
| Annual | $44,890 | $47,670 | $57,250 | $64,020 | $83,620 | $58,340 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $21.71 | $23.74 | $27.33 | $33.84 | $37.44 | $28.69 | 880 | 0.21 | 1.34 |
| Annual | $45,150 | $49,390 | $56,840 | $70,390 | $77,860 | $59,660 | ||||
| Vermont | Hourly | $23.89 | $24.14 | $26.86 | $28.16 | $28.18 | $27.15 | 40 | 0.12 | 0.80 |
| Annual | $49,690 | $50,220 | $55,880 | $58,580 | $58,610 | $56,470 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $19.44 | $22.52 | $23.62 | $30.00 | $31.52 | $25.36 | 2,880 | 0.98 | 6.36 |
| Annual | $40,430 | $46,840 | $49,130 | $62,390 | $65,570 | $52,750 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.71 | $17.22 | $18.47 | $23.11 | $27.51 | $20.26 | 2,320 | 0.17 | 1.08 |
| Annual | $30,590 | $35,810 | $38,410 | $48,070 | $57,210 | $42,140 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $18.69 | $22.43 | $25.89 | $29.70 | $36.74 | $26.72 | 2,020 | 0.11 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $38,870 | $46,650 | $53,860 | $61,780 | $76,420 | $55,580 | ||||
| Wisconsin | Hourly | $18.28 | $21.62 | $23.28 | $28.71 | $31.77 | $24.93 | 1,160 | 0.39 | 2.57 |
| Annual | $38,020 | $44,970 | $48,410 | $59,730 | $66,090 | $51,850 | ||||
| Kentucky | Hourly | $17.91 | $19.69 | $22.03 | $25.55 | $28.00 | $22.47 | 1,130 | 0.57 | 3.69 |
| Annual | $37,240 | $40,950 | $45,830 | $53,150 | $58,250 | $46,740 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | Hourly | $20.60 | $23.39 | $33.98 | $48.55 | $48.55 | $35.59 | 490 | 0.16 | 1.01 |
| Annual | $42,840 | $48,650 | $70,670 | $100,980 | $100,980 | $74,030 | ||||
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | Hourly | $22.85 | $28.62 | $32.05 | $38.56 | $45.00 | $33.50 | 80 | 0.07 | 0.46 |
| Annual | $47,530 | $59,540 | $66,670 | $80,200 | $93,600 | $69,680 | ||||
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | Hourly | $19.14 | $22.10 | $28.83 | $35.14 | $43.91 | $29.42 | 200 | 0.09 | 0.55 |
| Annual | $39,810 | $45,970 | $59,970 | $73,090 | $91,340 | $61,190 | ||||
| Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR | Hourly | $19.87 | $25.39 | $28.62 | $28.62 | $29.34 | $26.91 | 60 | 0.23 | 1.46 |
| Annual | $41,330 | $52,800 | $59,540 | $59,540 | $61,020 | $55,970 | ||||
| Oshkosh-Neenah, WI | Hourly | $22.20 | $22.86 | $28.09 | $31.07 | $31.77 | $27.50 | 180 | 1.95 | 12.74 |
| Annual | $46,180 | $47,550 | $58,430 | $64,620 | $66,090 | $57,210 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | Hourly | $21.47 | $23.56 | $23.62 | $31.44 | $31.52 | $25.81 | 2,500 | 1.28 | 8.37 |
| Annual | $44,660 | $49,000 | $49,130 | $65,390 | $65,570 | $53,680 | ||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $18.13 | $22.88 | $26.24 | $33.48 | $37.68 | $28.25 | 1,290 | 0.14 | 0.88 |
| Annual | $37,700 | $47,590 | $54,590 | $69,640 | $78,380 | $58,750 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $18.47 | $22.09 | $24.70 | $28.57 | $34.79 | $25.71 | 1,080 | 0.17 | 1.12 |
| Annual | $38,420 | $45,950 | $51,380 | $59,420 | $72,360 | $53,470 | ||||
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | Hourly | $15.18 | $17.94 | $21.63 | $24.72 | $28.52 | $22.36 | 900 | 0.22 | 1.45 |
| Annual | $31,570 | $37,320 | $44,980 | $51,420 | $59,310 | $46,500 | ||||
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | Hourly | $15.64 | $17.22 | $17.22 | $20.10 | $23.11 | $18.73 | 800 | 0.24 | 1.58 |
| Annual | $32,540 | $35,810 | $35,810 | $41,810 | $48,080 | $38,960 | ||||
Top industries employing prepress technicians and workers
Printing and Related Support Activities employ 59.1% of prepress technicians and workers nationally (14,090 jobs) at a median $47,740 a year ($22.95 an hour), followed by Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (10.2%) and Converted Paper Product Manufacturing (5.7%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Printing and Related Support Activities NAICS 323100 | 14,090 | 59.1% | $47,740 | $22.95 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers NAICS 513100 | 2,440 | 10.2% | $49,130 | $23.62 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing NAICS 322200 | 1,370 | 5.7% | $54,160 | $26.04 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing NAICS 326100 | 960 | 4.0% | $52,770 | $25.37 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services NAICS 541800 | 820 | 3.4% | $39,810 | $19.14 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (23,840). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $42,610 for prepress technicians and workers in May 2021 and $48,690 in May 2025, with employment of 25,840 and 23,840.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $42,610 | $20.49 | 25,840 |
| May 2022 | $43,560 | $20.94 | 25,250 |
| May 2023 | $45,070 | $21.67 | 23,590 |
| May 2024 | $47,300 | $22.74 | 23,070 |
| May 2025 | $48,690 | $23.41 | 23,840 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
45 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia profile | $48.55 | $100,980 | $85,820 | $116,630 | 180 | 0.25 | 1.65 |
| 2 | Maryland profile | $29.22 | $60,770 | $37,970 | $75,980 | 480 | 0.17 | 1.14 |
| 3 | Massachusetts profile | $27.53 | $57,250 | $44,890 | $83,620 | 460 | 0.13 | 0.82 |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | $27.33 | $56,840 | $45,150 | $77,860 | 880 | 0.21 | 1.34 |
| 5 | Vermont profile | $26.86 | $55,880 | $49,690 | $58,610 | 40 | 0.12 | 0.80 |
| 6 | Nevada profile | $26.77 | $55,680 | $33,280 | $66,210 | 130 | 0.09 | 0.56 |
| 7 | Oregon profile | $26.14 | $54,360 | $41,940 | $71,390 | 230 | 0.12 | 0.76 |
| 8 | California profile | $25.89 | $53,860 | $38,870 | $76,420 | 2,020 | 0.11 | 0.72 |
| 9 | Washington profile | $25.85 | $53,770 | $39,050 | $69,880 | 380 | 0.11 | 0.71 |
| 10 | Arkansas profile | $25.39 | $52,800 | $34,140 | $73,290 | 160 | 0.12 | 0.80 |
| 11 | New York profile | $25.20 | $52,420 | $37,310 | $71,270 | 1,110 | 0.11 | 0.74 |
| 12 | Montana profile | $24.96 | $51,910 | $38,340 | $54,460 | 40 | 0.08 | 0.52 |
| 13 | Colorado profile | $24.87 | $51,730 | $40,760 | $71,040 | 150 | 0.05 | 0.35 |
| 14 | Georgia profile | $24.17 | $50,280 | $37,480 | $65,580 | 320 | 0.07 | 0.43 |
| 15 | North Carolina profile | $23.92 | $49,760 | $39,260 | $63,060 | 600 | 0.12 | 0.80 |
| 16 | Illinois profile | $23.78 | $49,450 | $38,290 | $77,000 | 680 | 0.11 | 0.72 |
| 17 | Minnesota profile | $23.62 | $49,130 | $40,430 | $65,570 | 2,880 | 0.98 | 6.36 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania profile | $23.61 | $49,100 | $36,080 | $61,190 | 910 | 0.15 | 0.98 |
| 19 | Virginia profile | $23.61 | $49,100 | $32,230 | $62,960 | 330 | 0.08 | 0.53 |
| 20 | Indiana profile | $23.58 | $49,050 | $36,670 | $63,290 | 670 | 0.21 | 1.36 |
| 21 | Connecticut profile | $23.45 | $48,780 | $35,900 | $84,910 | 430 | 0.26 | 1.66 |
| 22 | New Hampshire profile | $23.36 | $48,580 | $34,180 | $59,770 | 120 | 0.17 | 1.11 |
| 23 | Wisconsin profile | $23.28 | $48,410 | $38,020 | $66,090 | 1,160 | 0.39 | 2.57 |
| 24 | Ohio profile | $22.99 | $47,810 | $33,920 | $62,030 | 1,070 | 0.19 | 1.26 |
| 25 | Tennessee profile | $22.97 | $47,790 | $33,790 | $60,160 | 640 | 0.19 | 1.27 |
| 26 | Iowa profile | $22.97 | $47,770 | $31,210 | $63,280 | 210 | 0.14 | 0.90 |
| 27 | Maine profile | $22.76 | $47,350 | $43,190 | $61,320 | 50 | 0.08 | 0.51 |
| 28 | Idaho profile | $22.70 | $47,220 | $31,000 | $55,250 | 50 | 0.06 | 0.41 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $22.58 | $46,960 | $38,340 | $61,650 | 540 | 0.12 | 0.80 |
| 30 | South Dakota profile | $22.29 | $46,370 | $29,760 | $64,590 | 50 | 0.11 | 0.71 |
| 31 | Rhode Island profile | $22.08 | $45,930 | $42,710 | $86,050 | ** | ** | ** |
| 32 | South Carolina profile | $22.07 | $45,900 | $30,060 | $59,050 | 200 | 0.09 | 0.55 |
| 33 | Missouri profile | $22.05 | $45,860 | $29,210 | $62,620 | 510 | 0.18 | 1.14 |
| 34 | Kentucky profile | $22.03 | $45,830 | $37,240 | $58,250 | 1,130 | 0.57 | 3.69 |
| 35 | Oklahoma profile | $21.99 | $45,730 | $22,400 | $57,250 | 80 | 0.05 | 0.31 |
| 36 | Florida profile | $21.95 | $45,660 | $34,000 | $59,440 | 840 | 0.08 | 0.55 |
| 37 | Kansas profile | $21.77 | $45,290 | $34,490 | $64,630 | 520 | 0.36 | 2.34 |
| 38 | Utah profile | $21.27 | $44,230 | $35,720 | $62,620 | 210 | 0.12 | 0.80 |
| 39 | Nebraska profile | $19.68 | $40,930 | $40,930 | $58,830 | 400 | 0.39 | 2.56 |
| 40 | New Mexico profile | $19.15 | $39,830 | $30,520 | $65,540 | 30 | 0.04 | 0.24 |
| 41 | Arizona profile | $18.67 | $38,830 | $35,460 | $65,900 | 210 | 0.07 | 0.43 |
| 42 | Texas profile | $18.47 | $38,410 | $30,590 | $57,210 | 2,320 | 0.17 | 1.08 |
| 43 | Louisiana profile | $18.30 | $38,060 | $29,450 | $61,620 | 90 | 0.05 | 0.31 |
| 44 | West Virginia profile | $16.98 | $35,320 | $28,380 | $53,400 | 50 | 0.07 | 0.47 |
| 45 | Alabama profile | $16.84 | $35,020 | $28,400 | $46,060 | 130 | 0.06 | 0.39 |
Related occupations
Occupations in the same SOC broad group (51-5110), with their national median annual wage.
Part of Production Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 51-5111 Prepress Technicians and Workers.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 51-5111, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 51-5111.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.