How to hire a print production specialist

Print production specialist hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring print production specialists in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire a print production specialist is $1,633.
It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new print production specialist to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a print production specialist, step by step

To hire a print production specialist, you should create an ideal candidate profile, determine a budget, and post and promote your job. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a print production specialist:

Here's a step-by-step print production specialist hiring guide:

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

What does a print production specialist do?

A print production specialist is in charge of overseeing the daily printing operations of a company. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their place or industry of employment, it typically includes identifying and understanding the clients' needs, preparing and processing materials for printing, operating devices and equipment, reviewing document specifications, and maintaining an active communication line with staff. They must also communicate and assist clients by answering inquiries, offering suggestions and promotions, and resolving issues and concerns promptly and efficiently.

Learn more about the specifics of what a print production specialist does

Post a print production specialist job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

Before you start hiring a print production specialist, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

Determine employee vs contractor status

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

A print production specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, print production specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

Here's a comparison of print production specialist salaries for various roles:

Type of Print Production Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
Print Production Specialist		$11-21
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
Pressman	A pressman is responsible for maintaining the printing press operations, maintaining the efficiency of the equipment and machinery to produce high-quality outputs. Pressmen ensure the readability and completeness of the content before distribution... Show more	$14-24

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Production Equipment
- Billing Purposes
- Data Entry
- Customer Satisfaction
- Troubleshoot
- Office Equipment
- Graphic Design
- Production Process
- Color Separations
- Customer Service
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Production Schedules
- Production Printers
- Desktop
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Manage CNC operators and test the quality of cut for a variety of woods, metals, and leather.
- Develop a vast understanding of typesetting and a sensitivity to various fonts.
- Support local Ricoh account management and lead customer sales with solution expertise, demonstrations, prepare and present proposals.
- Monitor and troubleshoot equipment, conduct statistical process control tracking, visual and automate wafer inspection.
More print production specialist duties

Make a budget

Including a salary range in the print production specialist job description is a good way to get more applicants. A print production specialist salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

For example, the average salary for a print production specialist in South Carolina may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level print production specialist. Additionally, a print production specialist with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

Average print production specialist salary

$15.91hourly

$33,102 yearly

Entry-level print production specialist salary

$24,000 yearly salary

Updated December 21, 2025

Average print production specialist salary by state

Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
1	Washington	$44,540	$21
2	Massachusetts	$40,635	$20
3	Virginia	$37,023	$18
4	Minnesota	$36,543	$18
5	Illinois	$35,815	$17
6	California	$35,467	$17
7	New York	$34,448	$17
8	Pennsylvania	$33,961	$16
9	Wisconsin	$33,865	$16
10	Colorado	$33,155	$16
11	Arizona	$32,185	$15
12	Oklahoma	$32,137	$15
13	Maryland	$31,544	$15
14	Texas	$31,053	$15
15	Ohio	$30,969	$15
16	Georgia	$30,045	$14
17	Puerto Rico	$27,642	$13
18	Florida	$26,346	$13

Average print production specialist salary by company

Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
1	Staples	$37,208	$17.89	76
2	International Paper	$35,570	$17.10	39
3	Progressive	$35,353	$17.00	1
4	National Geographic	$35,150	$16.90
5	Wizards of the Coast	$35,040	$16.85
6	Office Depot	$34,774	$16.72	5
7	LSC Communications	$34,055	$16.37
8	ABC Imaging	$33,922	$16.31	14
9	Ricoh	$33,796	$16.25	2
10	Zynex Medical	$33,358	$16.04
11	Hca Hospital Services Of San Diego	$33,149	$15.94
12	XPEL	$33,130	$15.93	2
13	Kodak	$33,079	$15.90
14	Bowne & Co	$32,713	$15.73
15	Carnival Cruise Line	$32,438	$15.60
16	RRD	$32,386	$15.57	45
17	CADY	$32,322	$15.54
18	Triple-S	$32,277	$15.52
19	NANA	$32,230	$15.50
20	Cobb Technologies	$32,205	$15.48

Writing a print production specialist job description
A good print production specialist job description should include a few things:
- Summary of the role
- List of responsibilities
- Required skills and experience
Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a print production specialist job description:
Print production specialist job description example
Specialist, Print Production

About the Job
Chanel is looking for a talented and organized print production specialist to join our Development and Procurement Team in New York City. You will play a leading role in the purchasing and management of printed collateral, including gift sets, wrap and e-commerce packaging needs. You will focus on timelines, work closely with our suppliers, issue purchase orders and help lead CSR initiatives. This role interfaces with many cross-functional teams and is a key partner for marketing. Our ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of experience and a passion for making things beautiful.

What impact you can create at CHANEL:
Support the development, purchasing and logistics of printed collateral, including gift set, wrap and e-commerce packaging needs.Negotiate and secure competitive estimates, finalize vendor selections and issue purchase orders.Work closely with cross-functional teams to create timelines and provide updates to ensure receiving schedules and on-time delivery.Prepare bill of materials, issue new component codes and purchase orders through SAP.Collaborate with artistic direction and outside agency to produce artwork mechanicals for gift sets.Manage information updates, tracking forms, and CDRs (Creative Development Request) for all categories.Obtain sample approvals from key partners and global teams, as needed, during development process.Monitor all manufacturing steps from conception to completion.Follow new procurement measures to capture cost savings, cost avoidance, and manage supplier risk.Support the Senior Manager in Innovation and Strategy. Help drive change and support new ways of working.Produce collateral through a CSR lens to help reduce Chanel's environmental impact.

You are energized by…
Working in a highly collaborative environment Collaborating and communicating with cross-functional teams Being creative and having the desire to make things beautiful Strong attention to detail and maintaining brand standards Process improvement and finding ways to make things better

What you will bring to the team...
3-5 years of print production and development experience Independent thinker (tactical and strategic) General understanding of print file types, 4C artwork, print process (conventional and digital), finishing and bindery processes. Packaging experience a plus.
Strong organizational skills in project management.Desire to learn and willingness to grow skillset.Manage multiple projects and timelines at the same time to ensure on-time delivery.Ability to adapt to change and work in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency creating and working in spreadsheets (Excel) - Microsoft office required, knowledge of SAP preferred.Ability to effectively interact with all levels of the business.
Possess collaborative negotiating skills to affect solutions to problems both internally and externally.Familiarity with new product launch, development and execution processes.

Position Logistics:
Bachelor's Degree - Business or Related Field preferred.Exposure to print production and development processes (3-5 years minimum preferred).Based in NYC (Hybrid) 3 Days in office, 2 remote.Minimum travel required to supplier facilities, retail locations and global offices as needed.

What skills you will learn?
Print production management and development Negotiating for cost-savings and cost-avoidance Process improvement and cost-efficiencies Opportunities for visibility to multiple cross-functional team Direct leader committed to individual development
Post your job
There are various strategies that you can use to find the right print production specialist for your business:
- Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
- Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
- Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
- Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your print production specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit print production specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
During your first interview to recruit print production specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.
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.
Send a job offer and onboard your new print production specialist
Once you've selected the best print production specialist 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.
To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.
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 print production specialist?

There are different types of costs for hiring print production specialists. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new print production specialist employee.

You can expect to pay around $33,102 per year for a print production specialist, as this is the median yearly salary nationally. This can vary depending on what state or city you're hiring in. If you're hiring for contract work or on a per-project basis, hourly rates for print production specialists in the US typically range between $11 and $21 an hour.

How to hire a print production specialist