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Boston Career Explorer

Production

Printing Press Operators

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

Also called: Digital Press Operator, Flexographic Press Operator, Offset Press Operator, Offset Pressman, Press Operator, Pressman

Compare with my current job (Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$52,180
$25.09/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,360
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+2.1%
260 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Moderate-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

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$39,800$44,860$52,180$64,880$76,590

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • 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.
  • Adjust ink fountain flow rates.
  • Verify that paper and ink meet the specifications for a given job.
  • Collect and inspect random samples during print runs to identify any necessary adjustments.
  • Feed paper through press cylinders and adjust feed and tension controls.

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.

Lower exposure25 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 26
  • Language-model AIOE 23
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 27

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

Printing press operators have lower AI exposure, and there is little or no observed AI use in this job today. AI tools could help with reading job orders and checking paper and ink against specifications. The hands-on work of running the press, pulling proofs, and adjusting ink flow still depends on a person at the machine. Massachusetts projects 2.1% job growth from 2024 to 2034.

Likely to change

  • Reading job orders and specifications
  • Checking paper and ink against specifications

Still relies on people

  • Pulling proofs and judging print quality
  • Adjusting ink flow and press settings

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Machinists

    Measuring to tight tolerances and setting up machines carry over. Machinists earn a higher Boston median pay of $72,060, with long-term on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$19,880 median
    AI exposure
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    MA growth
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    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Industrial Machinery Mechanics

    Your machine setup and adjusting experience helps with repair work. This job has a higher Boston median pay of $75,200 and projected growth of 17.1%.

    Pay difference
    +$23,020 median
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    MA growth
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    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Semiconductor Processing Technicians

    Studying work orders and inspecting products for defects carry over. This job offers a higher Boston median pay of $59,110 and moderate on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$6,930 median
    AI exposure
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    MA growth
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    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

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

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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