Skills it runs on
The capabilities O*NET rates most important for this occupation — the human ground the work is built on.
See all skills →Printing Press Operators
Occupation · SOC 51-5112.00
Set up and operate digital, letterpress, lithographic, flexographic, gravure, or other printing machines. Includes short-run offset printing presses.
Also called: Press Operator · Pressman · Printer · Printing Press Operator · Digital Press Operator · Flexographic Press Operator · Offset Press Operator · Offset Pressman · Printing Pressman · Web Press Operator · Aniline Press Worker · Back Up Machine Operator
Job family: Production Occupations
Take this to your AI
A source-stamped Markdown brief of this occupation — paste it into an agent, or fetch
/roles/role-51-5112-00/context.md directly.
AI work map
A fast read on where AI already shows up in this occupation, where it stays a copilot, where humans remain in the loop, and what the labor market is doing. Built from observed Claude.ai conversations mapped to O*NET tasks and from published research — measures of usage and exposure, not advice or predictions that the job is going away.
Market signal
Independent published positions, read together — not a forecast.
- Declining employment outlook (-8.1% by 2034)
- 13,700 openings/yr
- Moderate AI exposure
- Median pay $45,160/yr
- Work is mostly on-site (not teleworkable)
- 2013 flagged this for computerization (68th); today's AI task-overlap is comparatively low (33rd)
33rd-percentile task overlap — yet about 13,700 openings a year (-8.1% projected, BLS) . What exposure means →
AI & job outlook
What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.
Exposure to current AI
Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.
| Measure | Rank vs all occupations | Percentile | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall AI exposure (Felten et al.) Low | 29th | -0.7 | |
| LLM task exposure, γ (OpenAI / Eloundou) Moderate | 38th | 0.4 | |
| AI assistant applicability (Microsoft) Moderate | 37th | 0.1 |
OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.2), with simple added tooling (β 0.3), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.4). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.
This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.
Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.
Historical automation estimate (2013)
A pre-LLM (2013) estimate of how automatable this job is by computerization and robotics. Shown for historical context only — it is not part of any current AI ranking.
Frey–Osborne probability 0.8 · 68th percentile among occupations · High
How AI is actually used in this job
Among measured AI assistant conversations mapped to this occupation (Anthropic Economic Index, 2026-01-15), these task types came up most. These are shares of observed AI conversations — not shares of the job, of worker time, or of what could be automated.
| Adjust digital files to alter print elements, such as fonts, graphics, or color separations. | 0.6% |
Job outlook
Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.
| Outlook | Declining · -8.1% by 2034 |
| Projected annual openings | 13,700 |
| Employment 2024 → 2034 | 150,200 → 138,000 |
“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.
Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient
The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.
Printing Press Operators sits at the 46th percentile of 427
occupations on the global GenAI task-exposure gradient
— exposure rose from 2023 to 2025. Each dot is one occupation; the
ringed one is this work. Exposure is task overlap, not automation or jobs lost.
25% mean task exposure (2025)
46th percentile of 427 placed occupations
+3 pts shift 2023 → 2025
| International occupation (ISCO-08) | Task exposure (2025) | Most tasks fall in |
|---|---|---|
| Printers · 7322 | 25% | Not exposed |
Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.
Tasks
All 23 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.
- Start presses and pull proofs to check for ink coverage and density, alignment, and registration. Core · importance 4.7
- Examine job orders to determine quantities to be printed, stock specifications, colors, or special printing instructions. Core · importance 4.6
- Adjust ink fountain flow rates. Core · importance 4.6
- Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job. Core · importance 4.6
- Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments. Core · importance 4.6
- Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls. Core · importance 4.5
- Load presses with paper and make necessary adjustments, according to paper size. Core · importance 4.5
- Monitor automated press operation systems and respond to fault, error, or alert messages. Core · importance 4.5
- Secure printing plates to printing units and adjust tolerances. Core · importance 4.5
- Download or scan files to be printed, using printing production software. Supplemental · importance 4.5
- Clean ink fountains, plates, or printing unit cylinders when press runs are completed. Core · importance 4.4
- Change press plates, blankets, or cylinders, as required. Core · importance 4.4
- Obtain or mix inks and fill ink fountains. Core · importance 4.4
- Adjust digital files to alter print elements, such as fonts, graphics, or color separations. Supplemental · importance 4.3
- Input production job settings into workstation terminals that control automated printing systems. Core · importance 4.3
- Clean or oil presses or make minor repairs, using hand tools. Core · importance 4.2
- Direct or monitor work of press crews. Supplemental · importance 4.2
- Download completed jobs to archive media so that questions can be answered or jobs replicated. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Maintain time or production records. Core · importance 4.0
- Control workflow scheduling or job tracking, using computer database software. Supplemental · importance 4.0
- Monitor inventory levels on a regular basis, ordering or requesting additional supplies, as necessary. Core · importance 4.0
- Monitor environmental factors, such as humidity and temperature, that may impact equipment performance and make necessary adjustments. Core · importance 4.0
- Set up or operate auxiliary equipment, such as cutting, folding, plate-making, drilling, or laminating machines. Supplemental · importance 3.6
Work activities
- Program equipment to perform production tasks.
- Adjust equipment controls to regulate flow of production materials or products.
- Install mechanical components in production equipment.
- Clean production equipment.
- Lubricate production equipment.
- Inspected printed materials or other images to verify quality.
- Collect samples of materials or products for testing.
- Download data.
- Read work orders or other instructions to determine product specifications or materials requirements.
- Review blueprints or other instructions to determine operational methods or sequences.
- Feed materials or products into or through equipment.
- Enter commands, instructions, or specifications into equipment.
- Load materials into production equipment.
- Monitor equipment operation to ensure proper functioning.
- Mix ingredients to create specific finishes.
- Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
- Operate photographic developing or print production equipment.
- Evaluate quality of materials or products.
- Direct operational or production activities.
- Record operational or production data.
- Monitor environmental impacts of production or development activities.
- Maintain inventories of materials, equipment, or products.
- Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
- Operate cutting equipment.
Knowledge, skills & abilities
O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).
Abilities
| Near Vision | 4.0 | |
| Control Precision | 3.5 | |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.4 | |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.3 | |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.3 | |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Written Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Oral Expression | 3.1 | |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.1 | |
| Information Ordering | 3.1 | |
| Visualization | 3.1 | |
| Selective Attention | 3.1 | |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.1 | |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.1 | |
| Speech Recognition | 3.1 | |
| Speech Clarity | 3.1 | |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.0 | |
| Category Flexibility | 3.0 | |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.0 | |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.0 | |
| Static Strength | 3.0 | |
| Far Vision | 3.0 | |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.0 |
Transferable skills
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.9 | |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.6 | |
| Operation and Control | 3.3 | |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.1 | |
| Troubleshooting | 3.1 | |
| Repairing | 3.1 | |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | |
| Time Management | 3.1 | |
| Coordination | 3.0 | |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.0 |
Knowledge
| Mechanical | 3.8 | |
| Production and Processing | 3.7 |
Essential skills
| Monitoring | 3.3 | |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.1 | |
| Active Listening | 3.1 | |
| Speaking | 3.1 | |
| Critical Thinking | 3.1 |
Skills in demand
Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.
Showing the top 40 of 45.
Tools & technology
Work context
How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.
How to get in
- Job zone
- Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement
- Related experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Preparation level
- SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.
What to study: Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.
Education of current workers
Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.
| High School Diploma | 73.2% | |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 19.5% | |
| Some College Courses | 6.2% | |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 1.2% |
Interests & work styles
The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.
Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)
| Conventional | 5.4 | |
| Realistic | 4.8 | |
| Enterprising | 1.8 | |
| Artistic | 1.7 | |
| Social | 1.7 |
Interest areas
| Physical/Manual Labor | 3.2 | |
| Mechanics/Electronics | 3.2 | |
| Engineering | 2.4 | |
| Transportation/Machine Operation | 2.1 | |
| Information Technology | 1.6 | |
| Applied Arts and Design | 1.5 | |
| Accounting | 1.4 | |
| Visual Arts | 1.4 |
Work styles
| Attention to Detail | 2.7 | |
| Dependability | 2.3 | |
| Cautiousness | 2.0 |
Wages & employment
U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)
| 10th percentile | $31,450 |
| 25th percentile | $36,970 |
| Median (50th) | $45,160 |
| 75th percentile | $54,340 |
| 90th percentile | $63,060 |
| People employed | 145,110 |
Industries that employ this occupation
Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.
| Industry | Workers | National median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing · Sector | 107,890 | $46,010 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 10,730 | $39,350 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 6,020 | $37,670 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 5,720 | $38,710 |
| Information · Sector | 5,490 | $45,720 |
| Newspaper Publishers · National industry | 3,960 | $44,710 |
| Retail Trade · Sector | 3,350 | $37,820 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 2,890 | $35,000 |
| Educational Services · Sector | 1,600 | $48,340 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises · Sector | 1,020 | $45,330 |
| Sporting Goods Retailers · National industry | 950 | $36,870 |
| Finance and Insurance · Sector | 700 | $48,180 |
Where this work is most concentrated
Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).
| Industry | Concentration | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Newspaper Publishers · National industry | 46.43× | 3,960 |
| Manufacturing · Sector | 8.98× | 107,890 |
| Sporting Goods Retailers · National industry | 3.39× | 950 |
| Information · Sector | 2.01× | 5,490 |
| Temporary Help Services · National industry | 1.16× | 2,890 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services · Sector | 1.06× | 10,730 |
| Wholesale Trade · Sector | 1.01× | 5,720 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services · Sector | 0.71× | 6,020 |
Related occupations
Part of the Advanced Manufacturing and Arts, Entertainment, & Design career clusters.
- Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9196.00 Compare →
- Prepress Technicians and Workers · 51-5111.00 Compare →
- Photographic Process Workers and Processing Machine Operators · 51-9151.00 Compare →
- Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders · 51-9191.00 Compare →
- Print Binding and Finishing Workers · 51-5113.00 Compare →
- Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4031.00 Compare →
- Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9032.00 Compare →
- Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4035.00 Compare →
- Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4023.00 Compare →
- Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic · 51-4081.00 Compare →
- Etchers and Engravers · 51-9194.00 Compare →
- Textile Cutting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-6062.00 Compare →
Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.
What you can do with this
Options the data surfaces for Printing Press Operators — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.
Skills that travel
Capabilities this work builds that are used across many other occupations.
Adjacent roles
Occupations O*NET rates as related — the nearby moves on the map.
Paths in
How people typically prepare for this work.
- High school diploma or equivalent · typical entry level
- Job zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed · preparation tier
- Communications Technologies/Technicians and Support Services · field of study
Zoom out
On the global GenAI exposure gradient this work sits around the 46th percentile of 427 international occupations.
Write a report on thisheadline · factoids · citation
Printing Press Operators show 33rd-percentile AI task overlap — and about 13,700 annual U.S. openings
- Printing Press Operators rank in the 33rd percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated.Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE
- The occupation is projected to see about 13,700 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- BLS projects employment to be declining (-8.1%) from 2024 to 2034.BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
- Median annual pay is $45,160, across about 145,110 U.S. workers.BLS OEWS (May 2024)
Copy the whole kit
Printing Press Operators show 33rd-percentile AI task overlap — and about 13,700 annual U.S. openings • Printing Press Operators rank in the 33rd percentile (Low band) for AI task overlap across U.S. occupations — a measure of how much of the work today's AI can attempt, not how much is automated. (Eloundou et al. (GPTs are GPTs) + Felten AIOE) • The occupation is projected to see about 13,700 U.S. job openings per year (2024–34), counting growth and replacement — a labor-demand projection made independently of AI. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • BLS projects employment to be declining (-8.1%) from 2024 to 2034. (BLS Employment Projections 2024–34) • Median annual pay is $45,160, across about 145,110 U.S. workers. (BLS OEWS (May 2024)) Source: Singulariki — "Printing Press Operators". https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-5112-00 Note: AI task overlap measures what today's AI can attempt, not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
AssetsShare imageMethodology & sourcesPress & newsroomThe newsroom
Every line is built only from figures this page already shows and cites. AI task overlap means what today's AI can attempt — not automation, job loss, or a forecast.
Sources for this page
Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.
- O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27) Anthropic
- Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
- “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
- AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
- ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
- IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
- Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
- Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic
Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.
Cite this page
Plain
Singulariki. "Printing Press Operators." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-5112-00
APA
Singulariki. (2026). Printing Press Operators. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-5112-00
BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-role-51-5112-00,
title = {Printing Press Operators},
author = {{Singulariki}},
year = {2026},
note = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
url = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-51-5112-00}
} Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.