Office and Administrative Support
Desktop Publishers
Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.
Also called: Advertising Associate, Compositor, Computer Typesetter, Design Editor, Desktop Operator, Desktop Publishing Specialist
- Median pay in Greater Boston
- $80,960
- $38.92/hr
- Jobs in Greater Boston
- 60
- Massachusetts 2024–2034
- +2.5%
- 20 openings a year
- Typical U.S. entry requirement
- Associate's degree
- plus Short-term on-the-job training
Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.
Pay range in Greater Boston
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $49,820 | $51,200 | $80,960 | $86,670 | $92,960 |
10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.
What you’d do
- Operate desktop publishing software and equipment to design, lay out, and produce camera-ready copy.
- Position text and art elements from a variety of databases in a visually appealing way to design print or web pages, using knowledge of type styles and size and layout patterns.
- Check preliminary and final proofs for errors and make necessary corrections.
- View monitors for visual representation of work in progress and for instructions and feedback throughout process, making modifications as necessary.
- Enter text into computer keyboard and select the size and style of type, column width, and appropriate spacing for printed materials.
- Prepare sample layouts for approval, using computer software.
AI and this job
AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.
Moderate exposure59 of 100
The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:
- AIOE 55
- Language-model AIOE 46
- GPTs-are-GPTs 77
Observed AI use today: Substantial (Anthropic Economic Index)
AI exposure is moderate, and AI tools are already used a good deal in layout and design work. Software can help place text and art, and can spot some errors. Projections say more material is being published online instead of print, and other workers can now do some layout tasks. Final judgment about how a page looks and reads still falls to a person.
Likely to change
- Laying out text and images on pages
- Catching errors when proofing
Still relies on people
- Judging what looks right to readers
- Making final corrections and quality calls
What federal projections say
“Demand change, occupational substitution - share decreases as organizations continue to publish their materials electronically instead of printing them and publishing software improvements make it easier for other workers, such as editors and graphic designers, to perform the duties of desktop publishers.”
Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.
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Training near Boston
College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).
No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.
Related occupations
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