How To Become A Print Production Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a print production manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

In the digital world, everyone wants to print their digital creation to show them to the world, and for that, they have to go for the Print Production. Becoming a Print Production Manager can be fascinating as the average Print Production Manager salary is $97,634 whereas, at RR Donnelley & Sons Company, the print production manager earns roughly $97,309. At Ricoh, they make an average salary of $82,497. But, before getting too excited over these salary numbers, you should make sure that securing a job at these types of companies is possible. When you got the skills, it's necessary to secure a career in your dream job.

They have soft skills like interpersonal skills, leadership skills, and problem-solving skills. The job involves supervising the bid and negotiation process with suppliers and vendors of print jobs. You will also be in charge of tasks like sale collateral, seasonal promotions, direct mail, and any other printed media. You will be the one who approves print production priorities. It's also your responsibility to ensure the efficiency and reliability of operating the manufacturing processes.

ScorePrint Production ManagerUS Average

Salary

4.5

Avg. Salary $57,213

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

8.1

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.71%

Asian 4.89%

Black or African American 11.82%

Hispanic or Latino 18.01%

Unknown 4.13%

White 60.45%

Gender

female 45.82%

male 54.18%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

8.1

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

7.1

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.3

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a print production manager

Explore print production manager education requirements

Most common print production manager degrees

Bachelor's

67.2 %

Associate

19.7 %

High School Diploma

6.4 %

Start to develop specific print production manager skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	18.94%
Production Schedules	9.12%
Project Management	7.37%
Graphic Design	5.04%
Press Checks	4.42%

Complete relevant print production manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New print production managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a print production manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real print production manager resumes.

Research print production manager duties and responsibilities

Manage print production of service manuals for electric hand tools and various in-house print runs.
Manage operations of a 15 employee in-house 4/C print shop scheduling and controlling operations within the plant.
Manage manufacturing of CD's and DVD's (including purchasing, offset and screen printing, and packaging).
Manage a team of production managers and coordinators while performing regularly assign duties.

Prepare your print production manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your print production manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a print production manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable print production manager resume templates

Build a professional print production manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your print production manager resume.

Apply for print production manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a print production manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do print production managers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Print production manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2022

Pros

Being able to create a work environment where people flourish, come together, build good relationships form positive teamwork, watching work flow smoothly, reaching or exceeding goals, and be accountable. 2. An opportunity to learn shop floor activities technically and also to develop managerial skills.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020

Cons

I don't dislike anything about supervising, however the most difficult part of this position for me was managing people. This is a challenge when turnover rates are high.

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019