Electronic prepress operator vs typographer

The differences between electronic prepress operators and typographers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an electronic prepress operator and a typographer. Additionally, an electronic prepress operator has an average salary of $51,509, which is higher than the $42,971 average annual salary of a typographer.

The top three skills for an electronic prepress operator include computer software, electronic prepress and adobe photoshop. The most important skills for a typographer are typesetting, mac, and adobe indesign.

Electronic prepress operator vs typographer overview

	Electronic Prepress Operator	Typographer
Yearly salary	$51,509	$42,971
Hourly rate	$24.76	$20.66
Growth rate	-14%	-
Number of jobs	28,606	62
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Electronic prepress operator vs typographer salary

Electronic prepress operators and typographers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Electronic Prepress Operator	Typographer
Average salary	$51,509	$42,971
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $71,000	Between $26,000 And $70,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between electronic prepress operator and typographer education

There are a few differences between an electronic prepress operator and a typographer in terms of educational background:

	Electronic Prepress Operator	Typographer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 50%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Graphic Design	Graphic Design
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Electronic prepress operator vs typographer demographics

Here are the differences between electronic prepress operators' and typographers' demographics:

	Electronic Prepress Operator	Typographer
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%	Male, 30.0% Female, 70.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.7% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 18.6% Asian, 9.0% White, 60.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 7.3% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between electronic prepress operator and typographer duties and responsibilities

Electronic prepress operator example responsibilities.

Ensure ISO certification are achieved on an annual basis.
File preparation for PDF driven workflow.
Involve in daily schedule planning with pressroom and sales.
Prepare customer files for printing by trapping and outputting to film and PDF.
Work closely with the pressroom and shipping to guarantee jobs meet critical deadlines.
Work with planners, scheduling, estimating, ISO coordinator and the maintenance department.

Typographer example responsibilities.

Manage each project from typesetting to print production.
Advance technical typesetting for advertising agencies and graphic designers.
Identify discrepancies with sales/customer service representative; press and bindery operators, technical support.
Generate booklets, pamphlets and other literature for BCBS policies and distribute the materials throughout Massachusetts.

Electronic prepress operator vs typographer skills

Common electronic prepress operator skills

Computer Software, 15%
Electronic Prepress, 10%
Adobe Photoshop, 8%
Color Correction, 8%
Platemaking, 7%
PC, 7%

Common typographer skills

Typesetting, 57%
Mac, 25%
Adobe Indesign, 19%

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Electronic Prepress Operator
Electronic Prepress Operator vs Typographer

Updated January 8, 2025

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