Plate maker vs paste-up worker

The differences between plate makers and paste-up workers 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 a paste-up worker. Additionally, a plate maker has an average salary of $40,483, which is higher than the $28,043 average annual salary of a paste-up worker.

Plate maker vs paste-up worker overview

	Plate Maker	Paste-Up Worker
Yearly salary	$40,483	$28,043
Hourly rate	$19.46	$13.48
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	7,031	19,568
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Average age	48	48
Years of experience	4	4

Plate maker vs paste-up worker salary

Plate makers and paste-up workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Plate Maker	Paste-Up Worker
Average salary	$40,483	$28,043
Salary range	Between $22,000 And $72,000	Between $16,000 And $47,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between plate maker and paste-up worker education

There are a few differences between a plate maker and a paste-up worker in terms of educational background:

	Plate Maker	Paste-Up Worker
Most common degree	High School Diploma, 39%	Bachelor's Degree, 48%
Most common major	Graphic Design	Graphic Design
Most common college	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Plate maker vs paste-up worker demographics

Here are the differences between plate makers' and paste-up workers' demographics:

	Plate Maker	Paste-Up Worker
Average age	48	48
Gender ratio	Male, 76.8% Female, 23.2%	Male, 64.3% Female, 35.7%
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, 9.0% Unknown, 3.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.9% Asian, 9.9% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage	13%	13%

Differences between plate maker and paste-up worker 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.

Paste-up worker example responsibilities.

Suspend incoming material if it does not meet DLA receiving/packaging requirements and ensure proper material/labor repackaging costs are supply.
Follow DDI and customer operating and reporting procedures.

Plate maker vs paste-up worker skills

Common plate maker skills

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

Common paste-up worker skills

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Updated January 8, 2025

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