Plate maker vs electronic prepress operator

The differences between plate makers and electronic prepress operators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a plate maker and an electronic prepress operator. Additionally, an electronic prepress operator has an average salary of $51,509, which is higher than the $40,483 average annual salary of a plate maker.

The top three skills for a plate maker include creo, flexo and quality plates. The most important skills for an electronic prepress operator are computer software, electronic prepress, and adobe photoshop.

Plate maker vs electronic prepress operator overview

	Plate Maker	Electronic Prepress Operator
Yearly salary	$40,483	$51,509
Hourly rate	$19.46	$24.76
Growth rate	-	-14%
Number of jobs	7,031	28,606
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Plate maker vs electronic prepress operator salary

Plate makers and electronic prepress operators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plate Maker	Electronic Prepress Operator
Average salary	$40,483	$51,509
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $72,000	Between $37,000 And $71,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between plate maker and electronic prepress operator education

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

	Plate Maker	Electronic Prepress Operator
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 50%
Most common major	Graphic Design	Graphic Design
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	Stanford University

Plate maker vs electronic prepress operator demographics

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

	Plate Maker	Electronic Prepress Operator
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2%	Male, 65.7% Female, 34.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 3.2% Hispanic or Latino, 19.3% Asian, 7.6% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%	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%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between plate maker and electronic prepress operator duties and responsibilities

Plate maker example responsibilities.

Operate and maintain laser plate-making equipment such as Creo Trendsetters and Kodak Magnus VLF.
Retain records for ISO audit.
Retrieve files from CTP server.
Set up jobs and run jobs on Autologic platemaker.
Monitor completion of plates for quality control distribution to the pressroom.
Pack lids on production line and make plates on plate-maker for flexo printing.

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.

Plate maker vs electronic prepress operator skills

Common plate maker skills

Creo, 15%
Flexo, 9%
Quality Plates, 9%
Plate Material, 8%
ISO, 7%
Routine Maintenance, 6%

Common electronic prepress operator skills

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

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Plate Maker
Plate Maker vs Electronic Prepress Operator

Updated January 8, 2025

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