Printing Press Operators pay in California

In California, the median pay for printing press operators is $22.17 an hour ($46,110 a year). About 12,320 people work in this job there.

$22.17Median hourly pay

$38,530–$54,870Middle half of workers, yearly

12,320People in this job in California

That is about the same as the U.S. median ($45,780). California ranks 20th of 51 states and territories for this job’s median pay.

Pay range for printing press operators in California

Earns more than	Hourly	Yearly
10% of workers	$17.59	$36,580
25% of workers	$18.53	$38,530
Half of workers (median)	$22.17	$46,110
75% of workers	$26.38	$54,870
90% of workers	$30.73	$63,910

Printing Press Operators pay in California metro areas

Metro area	Median yearly pay	People in this job
Merced	$50,640	90
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	$50,280	1,050
Visalia	$49,680	140
Napa	$48,600	60
Santa Rosa-Petaluma	$48,570	130
Modesto	$46,670	90
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom	$46,440	590
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim	$46,200	6,140
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	$46,110	930
Stockton-Lodi	$46,110	90
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles	$45,540	80
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara	$45,530	70
Vallejo	$45,240	40
Fresno	$45,060	180
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario	$45,030	990
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura	$44,890	250
Chico	$44,550	60
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara	$44,130	670
Santa Cruz-Watsonville	$43,480	70
Bakersfield-Delano	$39,680	110

California unemployment rate: 5.1% (August 2026), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Education, experience and outlook for printing press operators

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
Related work experience most have: 2 to 4 years (O*NET)
Training on the job: Moderate-term on-the-job training (BLS)
Job outlook: -8.7% over ten years, declining · about 12,100 openings a year (BLS)

Related jobs in California

Job	Median yearly pay
Cutting, Punching, and Press Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$48,450
Paper Goods Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$48,730
Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$46,810
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders	$46,110
Prepress Technicians and Workers	$53,860
Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$59,050
Print Binding and Finishing Workers	$45,390
Rolling Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	$48,040

Other job titles for this job

Music GrapherGalley WorkerCollating Machine OperatorOffset Duplicating Machine OperatorStrike Off Machine OperatorDigital Press OperatorFlexographic Press OperatorDigital Print OperatorElectrotyperLetterpress SetterLithographic Press OperatorLithographing Machine Operator

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Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates. Figures are for wage and salary workers and do not include the self-employed. The median is the middle wage: half earn more, half earn less. Other job titles: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.