Salary guide, May 2025
Flexographic Press Operator pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
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The median annual wage for Printing Press Operators in the United States was $45,780 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $37,390 and $55,740.
Also searched as: Flexo Press Operator, Printing Press Operator, Press Lead. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 51-5112 Printing Press Operators
The Flexographic Press Operator title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $33,330 | $37,390 | $45,780 | $55,740 | $63,520 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $16.03 | $17.98 | $22.01 | $26.80 | $30.54 |
BLS estimated 144,260 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 51-5112 Printing Press Operators, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $42,890 | $35,030 to $47,580 | 2,170 | 0.83 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $37,750 | $35,560 to $46,070 | 1,510 | 1.12 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $39,420 | $36,260 to $46,680 | 990 | 0.75 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $45,960 | $37,580 to $54,820 | 380 | 0.56 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $49,620 | $43,160 to $63,180 | 6,700 | 0.76 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $49,620 | $43,160 to $63,180 | 6,700 | 0.76 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $45,670 | $37,210 to $57,310 | 3,880 | 1.03 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $46,580 | $36,750 to $60,120 | 7,790 | 1.86 |
Rank every metro for Flexographic Press Operator
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels.
- Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing$66,800
- Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only)$66,800
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only)$61,490
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing$58,610
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only)$56,180
- Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only)$54,950
- Converted Paper Product Manufacturing$54,090
- Paper Manufacturing$53,870
- Machinery Manufacturing$53,090
- Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities$49,280
- Plastics Product Manufacturing$48,790
- Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing$48,780
- Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills$48,370
- Food Manufacturing$46,470
- Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing$46,470
Bars show up to 15 industries with exact annual medians. The table lists every published industry.
| NAICS | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 108,320 | $37,810 | $46,350 | $57,100 |
| 323000 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 88,160 | $37,320 | $45,910 | $56,130 |
| 323100 | Printing and Related Support Activities | 88,160 | $37,320 | $45,910 | $56,130 |
| 322000 | Paper Manufacturing | 8,440 | $46,320 | $53,870 | $61,470 |
| 322200 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 8,310 | $46,370 | $54,090 | $61,480 |
| 326000 | Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing | 4,740 | $43,550 | $48,780 | $59,110 |
| 326100 | Plastics Product Manufacturing | 4,680 | $43,550 | $48,790 | $59,110 |
| 339000 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 2,630 | $39,520 | $44,960 | $49,920 |
| 339900 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 2,340 | $39,900 | $45,610 | $49,850 |
| 314000 | Textile Product Mills | 1,120 | $35,590 | $39,830 | $46,160 |
| 314900 | Other Textile Product Mills | 1,110 | $35,590 | $39,740 | $46,130 |
| 315000 | Apparel Manufacturing | 710 | $35,740 | $39,390 | $45,770 |
| 313000 | Textile Mills | 580 | $35,800 | $41,560 | $49,420 |
| 332000 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 570 | $52,440 | $58,610 | $65,670 |
| 313300 | Textile and Fabric Finishing and Fabric Coating Mills | 470 | $36,590 | $44,800 | $49,780 |
| 315200 | Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing | 420 | $35,470 | $36,550 | $40,700 |
| 3320A2 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 370 | $56,780 | $61,490 | $73,690 |
| 334000 | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 310 | $38,760 | $43,300 | $48,890 |
| 315900 | Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 290 | $38,330 | $44,510 | $49,210 |
| 325000 | Chemical Manufacturing | 290 | $36,960 | $45,680 | $49,090 |
| 339100 | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 290 | $39,020 | $42,170 | $51,060 |
| 311000 | Food Manufacturing | 210 | $41,680 | $46,470 | $49,100 |
| 334400 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 200 | $38,950 | $43,520 | $47,580 |
| 336000 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 160 | $29,350 | $42,150 | $44,520 |
| 311400 | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 140 | $43,790 | $46,470 | $49,090 |
| 325400 | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 140 | $36,980 | $44,020 | $58,070 |
| 336300 | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 140 | $29,150 | $42,150 | $44,500 |
| 322100 | Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills | 130 | $45,450 | $48,370 | $57,510 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 120 | $38,780 | $38,780 | $47,320 |
| 327000 | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 120 | $38,780 | $38,780 | $47,320 |
| 313200 | Fabric Mills | 110 | $34,500 | $34,880 | $38,940 |
| 3320A1 | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 110 | $52,410 | $56,180 | $61,220 |
| 333000 | Machinery Manufacturing | 90 | $45,100 | $53,090 | $60,600 |
| 334600 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | 70 | $37,350 | $43,300 | $49,820 |
| 332800 | Coating, Engraving, Heat Treating, and Allied Activities | 60 | $46,980 | $49,280 | $59,830 |
| 3330A1 | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 60 | $48,560 | $54,950 | $62,090 |
| 312000 | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 50 | $36,540 | $38,590 | $46,020 |
| 312100 | Beverage Manufacturing | 50 | $36,540 | $38,590 | $46,020 |
| 326200 | Rubber Product Manufacturing | 50 | $44,380 | $44,650 | $45,340 |
| 321000 | Wood Product Manufacturing | 40 | $27,460 | $37,120 | $46,850 |
| 321900 | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 40 | $27,460 | $36,830 | $45,100 |
| 339910 | Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing | 40 | $38,430 | $45,740 | $58,890 |
| 311900 | Other Food Manufacturing | 30 | $38,660 | $42,060 | $49,890 |
| 337000 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing | 30 | $45,390 | $66,800 | $70,830 |
| 3370A1 | Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing (3371 and 3372 only) | 30 | $45,390 | $66,800 | $70,830 |
| 3250A2 | Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | Not published by BLS | $36,610 | $44,550 | $47,780 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Flexographic Press Operator, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS includes base rate, guaranteed pay and production incentive pay. It excludes overtime premium, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses. An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure.
Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $36,970 | $45,160 | $54,340 |
| May 2025 | $37,390 | $45,780 | $55,740 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Production Supervisor pay (SOC 51-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about customer standards and proofs?
Operators who hold color to a customer standard understand proofs, drawdowns and approvals. We ask how they handled a rejected job and how they documented a color match. People who communicate well with quality and sales reduce rework and keep customers happy.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Flexographic Press Operator?
The median annual wage for Printing Press Operators in the United States was $45,780 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $37,390 and $55,740. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $33,330. 90% earned less than $63,520.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Flexographic Press Operator at a plant?
The Flexographic Press Operator title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 144,260 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
What does this data mean for your opening?
Manufacturing Headhunters evaluates the Flexographic Press Operator role, mapped to the SOC 51-5112 category for Printing Press Operators. The national median annual wage is $45,780, showing a $620 increase since May 2024. This technical role demands proficiency in plate mounting, color registration, and wide-web changeovers.
Because BLS does not isolate flexographic press operation from other printing processes, these figures reflect a wide range of operational tasks.
The national middle-band width for this occupation is $18,350, representing the variance between the 25th percentile ($37,390) and the 75th percentile ($55,740). Industry-specific medians, such as Furniture and Related Product Manufacturing at $66,800, demonstrate how specialized sectors within the broader manufacturing category can offer significantly different pay profiles compared to the occupational average.
Regional employment data highlights that the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area reports a median of $46,580 and a location quotient of 1.86. The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, metro reports a median of $49,620 with a location quotient of 0.76. These figures emphasize that location quotients reflect employment density and do not function as a proxy for local wage competitiveness or the labor supply for skilled operators.
These data points exclude non-base pay components like overtime or shift premiums, which are often significant in printing environments. The broad nature of the SOC means that these figures aggregate everything from entry-level feeding positions to experienced press operator roles, so hiring managers should adjust their expectations based on the specific technical rigor and production standards required for their operation.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
What is the P25/P75 middle-band width for this role?
The national middle-band width is $18,350. This represents the gap between the 25th percentile ($37,390) and the 75th percentile ($55,740).
How did the median wage for this occupation change in the past year?
The median annual wage increased by $620, rising from $45,160 in May 2024 to $45,780 in May 2025. This marks a modest increase in the national occupational median.
Why does the industry median for Furniture Manufacturing differ so much from the occupational median?
Furniture manufacturing represents a specific sector within the broader printing category, and industry-specific market dynamics and specialized operational requirements can lead to higher median wages.
Related recruiting or pay page · Related wage comparison 1 · Data methodology · Related wage comparison 3 · Related wage comparison 4