How to hire a digital print operator

Digital print operator hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring digital print operators in the United States:

The median cost to hire a digital print operator is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
HR departments typically allocate 15% of their budget towards recruitment efforts.
Small businesses spend $1,105 per digital print operator on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
It takes approximately 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
There are a total of 11,104 digital print operators in the US, and there are currently 46,110 job openings in this field.
Greenville, SC, has the highest demand for digital print operators, with 8 job openings.

How to hire a digital print operator, step by step

To hire a digital print operator, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a digital print operator:

Here's a step-by-step digital print operator hiring guide:

Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
Step 3: Make a budget
Step 4: Write a digital print operator job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new digital print operator
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a digital print operator do?

A digital print operator is primarily in charge of preparing and processing custom prints according to client orders, ensuring efficiency and client satisfaction. It is their duty to identify and take note of the client's needs and preferences, operate printing machines and equipment, and complete orders within deadlines. They also assist clients by answering inquiries, offering recommendations or alternatives, and promptly and professionally solving complaints. Moreover, a digital print operator must also handle calls and correspondence, maintain records of all transactions, monitor supply inventories, perform regular maintenance checks on equipment, and conduct basic repairs when necessary.

Learn more about the specifics of what a digital print operator does

Post a digital print operator job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

First, determine the employments status of the digital print operator you need to hire. Certain digital print operator roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

Determine employee vs contractor status

Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

Hiring the perfect digital print operator also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

This list shows salaries for various types of digital print operators.

Type of Digital Print Operator	Description	Hourly rate
Digital Print Operator		$12-17
Pressman	A pressman is responsible for maintaining the printing press operations, maintaining the efficiency of the equipment and machinery to produce high-quality outputs. Pressmen ensure the readability and completeness of the content before distribution... Show more	$14-24
Compositor	Compositors are the creators of a frame, shot, or sequence final image. They usually combine various digital elements to produce a believable picture... Show more	$11-40

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Quality Checks
- Image Quality
- Quality Standards
- Routine Maintenance
- Troubleshoot
- Perform Routine Maintenance
- PC
- Print Queue
- OCE
- Bindery
- Print Production
- Multitask
- UV
- Digital Presses
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Manage day-to-day operations and supervise employees to ensure the studio run smoothly.
- Experience in PDF, VIP, PPML, and VPS files.
- Maintain and troubleshoot printer and machine base.
- Operate and troubleshoot high speed digital print equipment.
- Print customer and in-house jobs over network .!
- Operate the Rotoflex die-cutting machine, UV and water-base.
More digital print operator duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in your digital print operator job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A digital print operator salary can vary based on several factors:

Location. For example, digital print operators' average salary in alabama is 35% less than in washington.
Seniority. Entry-level digital print operators earn 30% less than senior-level digital print operators.
Certifications. A digital print operator with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a digital print operator's salary.

Average digital print operator salary

$15.26hourly

$31,749 yearly

Entry-level digital print operator salary

$26,000 yearly salary

Updated December 14, 2025

Average digital print operator salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	New Jersey	$41,567	$20
2	Minnesota	$38,946	$19
3	Oregon	$37,779	$18
4	Kentucky	$35,242	$17
5	California	$34,090	$16
6	Pennsylvania	$33,250	$16
7	Michigan	$32,570	$16
8	Utah	$30,534	$15
9	Texas	$30,391	$15
10	Georgia	$30,108	$14
11	Arizona	$29,805	$14
12	South Carolina	$29,791	$14
13	Illinois	$29,644	$14
14	Ohio	$29,269	$14
15	North Carolina	$28,892	$14
16	Florida	$27,389	$13

Average digital print operator salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Quad	$40,724	$19.58	21
2	Gateway 2000	$37,561	$18.06
3	Lippert Components	$36,723	$17.66	1
4	Japs-Olson	$36,388	$17.49
5	Cengage Learning	$36,294	$17.45
6	Mayo Clinic	$35,478	$17.06
7	Clarity Software Solutions	$35,134	$16.89
8	Fiserv	$34,860	$16.76	26
9	Shutterfly	$34,381	$16.53	1
10	City of St. Louis	$33,838	$16.27
11	ABC Imaging	$32,926	$15.83	13
12	RRD	$32,084	$15.43	168
13	Debbie's Staffing	$31,960	$15.37	2
14	Taylor Corporation	$31,467	$15.13	25
15	Bowne & Co	$31,333	$15.06
16	Automotive Service Association - ASA	$31,260	$15.03
17	Kelly Services	$31,253	$15.03	70
18	QuantumDigital	$31,246	$15.02
19	Staffmark	$31,232	$15.02
20	baesman	$31,008	$14.91

Writing a digital print operator job description
A good digital print operator job description should include a few things:
- Summary of the role
- List of responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a digital print operator job description:
Digital print operator job description example

· Stable company experiencing growth at a record pace, is looking for full-time 2nd and 3rd shift Digital Printer Operator.

· We are centrally located near major highways, and offer growth opportunities, 401k matching/profit sharing, annual increases, PTO, and have overtime available.

· Will train mechanically inclined, dependable and motivated individuals with good work history.

Submit your resume today or stop by in person at

9900 Clinton Road, 44144 to complete an application.

Arrow International, Inc. is the world’s largest producer and supplier of charitable and social gaming solutions. Arrow’s products include consumables (tickets, pull-tabs, and the like) as well as electronic and other gaming equipment installed and operating in a wide array of social settings.

NOTE : Arrow International requires a background check and drug screen test to be considered for employment.

Position Overview: Perform duties to assist press operators in offset printing operations. Safely performs position specific responsibilities to ensure a high level of productivity, quality and internal and external customer service while adhering to all relevant company policies and procedures. Identifies and recommends process improvements to streamline and increase efficiency of existing programs.

Essential Job Functions :

· Work from written and verbal instructions.

· Retrieve chemicals from storage, make water mixture for presses.

· Line up pallets to be run on each press; move pallets to and from inventory as well as stack loaded pallets.

· Help press operators with clean-up of presses including changing of blankets.

· Exercise proper care in the use of tools, equipment and materials.

· Detect and report faulty equipment, defective material, improper operations and unusual conditions to supervision.

· Observe all prescribed safety rules and regulations and maintain work area in a neat and orderly condition. Perform other duties as assigned

Education Requirements:

· High school diploma / GED equivalent

Physical Requirements:

· Physically able to lift up to 50lbs occasionally (3-4 times/hour)

· Standing on feet most of the day

Other Skills/Abilities:

· Must be self-motivated and self-sufficient and able to follow directions

· Must be quality and time conscious

· Must be able to work with a variety of different people at all levels

· Must be able to work overtime and different shifts

· Must be able to keep area orderly and clean

· Should have a honest/agreeable/positive attitude

Arrow is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy and practice of Arrow International, Inc. and all of its subsidiary companies and affiliates to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. Arrow International prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.

Qualified MILITARY VETERANS are welcome and strongly encouraged to apply.

Arrow International, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of Arrow International, Inc. and all of its subsidiary companies and affiliates to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, national origin, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law. Arrow International prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.

Qualified MILITARY VETERANS are welcome and strongly encouraged to apply.

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Post your job
To find the right digital print operator for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with digital print operators they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit digital print operators who meet your education requirements.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your digital print operator job on Zippia to find and recruit digital print operator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
To successfully recruit digital print operators, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.
You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.
The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.
Send a job offer and onboard your new digital print operator
Once you've found the digital print operator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.
It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.
Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new digital print operator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.
Go through the hiring process checklist
- Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
- Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
- Define job responsibilities and requirements
- Establish budget and timeline
- Determine hiring decision makers for the role
- Write job description
- Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
- Promote the job internally
- Process applications through applicant tracking system
- Review resumes and cover letters
- Shortlist candidates for screening
- Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
- Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
- Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
- Conduct background checks on top candidates
- Check references of top candidates
- Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
- Extend offer to top candidate(s)
- Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
- Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
- Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
- Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a digital print operator?

Hiring a digital print operator comes with both the one-time cost per hire and ongoing costs. The cost of recruiting digital print operators involves promoting the job and spending time conducting interviews. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider the cost of digital print operator recruiting as well the ongoing costs of maintaining the new employee.

The median annual salary for digital print operators is $31,749 in the US. However, the cost of digital print operator hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a digital print operator for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $12 and $17 an hour.

How to hire a digital print operator