How to hire a press assistant

How to hire a press assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step press assistant hiring guide:

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

What does a press assistant do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your press assistant job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a press assistant for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a press assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a press assistant that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of press assistants.

   Type of Press Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Press Assistant		$12-20
   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
   Digital Print Operator	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... Show more	$12-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Hand Tools
   • Preventative Maintenance
   • Safety Policies
   • Press Operators
   • Math
   • Basic Math
   • ISO
   • Blankets
   • Quality Standards
   • Quality Checks
   • Pallets
   • Stackers
   • Cleanliness
   • Press Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage shop, warehouse & inventories, supervise employees, schedule production, maintain and run equipment when need.
   • Perform varied tasks in an ISO atmosphere.
   • Work with both uv and water base inks.
   • Employ root cause analysis to troubleshoot equipment and process issues.
   • Assist press operator in all operations of multiple wide-web flexo presses.
   • Learned basic table stripping skills, lm duping, proo ng and platemaking.

   More press assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your press assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A press assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, press assistants' average salary in florida is 43% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level press assistants 38% less than senior-level press assistants.
   • Certifications. A press assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a press assistant's salary.

   Average press assistant salary

   $16.22hourly

   $33,732 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level press assistant salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average press assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$43,925	$21
   2	Minnesota	$42,915	$21
   3	Wisconsin	$38,811	$19
   4	Idaho	$37,136	$18
   5	California	$36,015	$17
   6	Pennsylvania	$35,130	$17
   7	Ohio	$34,418	$17
   8	District of Columbia	$33,718	$16
   9	North Carolina	$32,790	$16
   10	Oklahoma	$32,616	$16
   11	Kentucky	$32,507	$16
   12	Michigan	$31,921	$15
   13	Tennessee	$31,421	$15
   14	Texas	$31,380	$15
   15	Georgia	$31,379	$15
   16	South Carolina	$30,649	$15

   Average press assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	CPI Card Group	$44,775	$21.53	1
   2	Amcor	$42,308	$20.34	27
   3	WestRock	$41,081	$19.75	17
   4	Conagra Brands	$39,909	$19.19	3
   5	MeadWestvaco	$38,705	$18.61
   6	Northwest Center	$38,029	$18.28
   7	Quad	$37,400	$17.98	41
   8	The Washington Post	$37,099	$17.84
   9	G3 Enterprises	$37,096	$17.83	1
   10	Berry Global	$36,778	$17.68
   11	Democratic Party	$36,659	$17.62
   12	Chicago Public Schools	$36,479	$17.54
   13	Hammer Packaging	$35,802	$17.21
   14	Accredo Packaging	$35,030	$16.84	3
   15	Graphic Packaging International	$34,987	$16.82	31
   16	4over	$34,727	$16.70	8
   17	Remedy Intelligent Staffing	$34,555	$16.61
   18	Menasha	$34,401	$16.54	9
   19	LSC Communications	$34,389	$16.53
   20	Woodward Communications	$34,296	$16.49	1

4. Writing a press assistant job description

   A job description for a press assistant role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a press assistant job description:

   Press assistant job description example

   As a Press Assistant, you will be working in a Printing Press environment. You will provide assistance to our Press Operators in setting up and operating the printing press to produce thousands of labels for beverages, personal health items, and candles to name a few.
   We offer onsite training!
   Schedule: 1st Shift (6am - 2pm) M-F and 2nd Shift (2pm - 10pm) M-F
   Starting pay rate is $18/hr. Presently we are offering a $250 Signing Bonus!
   Once you have successfully completed 90 days, there is opportunity to further your career by entering our Press Operations Training Program. This is paid on-the-job training to gain a skilled trade in the printing industry. Upon completion pay for Flexo Press Operator I is $22.00/hr.
   Primary Functions and Responsibilities Assist Press Operator with set-up, operation and monitoring of the equipment. Ensure various supply levels are sufficient at all times. Review job jacket to identify the next job on press and ensure that all materials needed are available. Assist in the proper clean-up of the equipment (before, during and after all production or shutdowns). Perform other job duties as assigned. Job Requirements HS Diploma or GED required. Must have mechanical experience gained through work experience or education Must be able to pass a post-offer physical, drug screen, and back ground check. Must be able to lift / push / pull up to 30 lbs. unassisted (or more occasionally). Must be able to stand or walk for the majority of shift - 2 hour increments. Must be able to bend, stoop, squat, grasp and reach frequently. Must be able to differentiate between color variances. Ability to work well with others. Willingness to work overtime and if needed, holidays and weekends. We offer excellent Benefits Medical Dental Vision Paid vacation 10 paid holidays 401(k) matching About Us Brook & Whittle Ltd. is one of North America's leading Sustainable Labeling Solutions providers, producing pressure sensitive, flexographic and shrink sleeve labels for many of the nation's leading brands. The company serves multiple consumer markets, including Personal Care, Beverage, Food, Nutraceuticals, Wine & Spirits, and Household Chemicals.
   The company's rapid growth can be attributed to its world-class staff of employees and its commitment to sustainability, print innovation, and the latest technological advancements. Wouldn't it be cool to go into a store, pick up a product and say we make that label!
   Our culture is first and foremost one of collaboration and teamwork. We hold ourselves to high professional, ethical, and fairness standards. We have zero tolerance for anything less. We celebrate our diverse workforce and reward good performance through our recognition program, advancement opportunities, and our compensation structure. We welcome you to consider being a part of this great team.
   AAP/EEO Statement Brook & Whittle LTD provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Brook & Whittle complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
   Brook & Whittle expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Brook & Whittle LTD's employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.
   Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
   Work Authorization/Security Clearance Must be eligible to work in the United States without restriction.
   Requirements:
   
   
   PI193928253

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right press assistant 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 press assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit press assistants 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 press assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit press assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting press assistants requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new press assistant

   Once you've selected the best press assistant candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new press assistant. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. 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 press assistant?