How to hire a print shop assistant

Print shop assistant hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring print shop assistants in the United States:

In the United States, the median cost per hire a print shop assistant 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 shop assistant to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a print shop assistant, step by step

To hire a print shop assistant, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a print shop assistant:

Here's a step-by-step print shop 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 print shop assistant job description
Step 5: Post your job
Step 6: Interview candidates
Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new print shop assistant
Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a print shop assistant job for free, promote it for a fee

Identify your hiring needs

Before you start hiring a print shop assistant, 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 shop assistant's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, print shop assistants 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.

This list shows salaries for various types of print shop assistants.

Type of Print Shop Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
Print Shop Assistant		$12-19
Offset Press Operator	Offset Press Operators print different printed materials by setting up, adjusting, and operating offset printing presses. They adjust, clean, and lubricate the offset printing presses to attain successful printing operation... Show more	$14-28
Press Operator Printing	A Printing Press Operator works on operating the printing machine of a publishing house. This person has advanced knowledge in the printing process, the repair, maintenance, and operation of various printing presses and provides input in color, design, and layout... Show more	$14-25

Create an ideal candidate profile
Common skills:
- Graphic Design
- Customer Service
- Adobe Photoshop
- Collating
- Print Materials
- Print Production
- Business Cards
- Stitching
- RAN
- Xerox
- Brochures
- Print Shop Equipment
- Offset Printing
- Proofread
Check all skills
Responsibilities:
- Manage and update product inventory databases utilizing the AS400 system .!
- Experience with procedure for pharmaceutical companies utilizing ISO procedures.
- Modele parts accurately in SolidWorks and create 2D mechanical drawings for manufacture.
- Design costumes for numerous department and student productions.
Make a budget
Including a salary range in your print shop assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A print shop assistant can vary based on:
- Location. For example, print shop assistants' average salary in iowa is 34% less than in washington.
- Seniority. Entry-level print shop assistants 39% less than senior-level print shop assistants.
- Certifications. A print shop 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 print shop assistant's salary.
Average print shop assistant salary
$15.49hourly
$32,226 yearly
Entry-level print shop assistant salary
$25,000 yearly salary
Updated December 21, 2025
Writing a print shop assistant job description
A job description for a print shop 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 print shop assistant job description:
Print shop assistant job description example
The Department

The Administrative Services Department (ASD) provides services to the Palo Alto community and internal city staff. With nine divisions, ASD is responsible for the management and administration of City financial matters such as accounting, budget, investments and treasury, as well as SAP program function, real estate, two city warehouses, and printing and mailing.

The Position

The Administrative Services Department is looking for an enthusiastic individual to help operate various types of offset reprographics and related equipment and performs other print shop and clerical duties such as collection and binding.

This is a temporary SEIU Hourly position with limited benefits. This position is budgeted to not exceed 999 hours per fiscal year (July - June). The number of hours per week and schedule will be determined based on the assignment. For more information view the Memorandum of Agreement.

In lieu of providing a medical plan, the Citygrants a medical stipend of $3.48.

Essential Duties

Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Operates offset equipment and other print shop equipment in the printing of single or multi-color work.
* Prepares offset masters.
* Runs collator and power cutter.
* Makes offset printing equipment adjustments, inks offset presses; cleans offset presses; performs minor service to offset and related equipment.
* Cuts, pads, binds, and punches printed materials; wraps and otherwise prepares reproduced materials for delivery.

Related Functions:

* Performs related clerical tasks such as completing work orders, maintaining basic production records, etc.
* Operates a variety of office machines.

Related Functions:

* Occasionally assists in training and laying out work for clerical assistants.
* Stocks paper for each press area.
* Provides support and operates duplicator copying (Xerox 5090) equipment.
* Performs related duties and responsibilities as required.

Minimum Qualifications

* High School Diploma or equivalent

Vaccination Status:The City of Palo Alto recently implemented a COVID19 vaccination policy, which requires employees reporting to work onsite to be vaccinated or regularly tested. Upon your start date, you will be asked your COVID19 vaccination status. If vaccinated, we will ask to see a copy of your vaccination card. A member of our Benefits team will explain the policy in more detail once onboarded.

The City of Palo Alto is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.
Post your job
To find print shop assistants for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:
- Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
- Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any print shop assistants they would recommend.
- Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level print shop assistants with the right educational background.
- Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.
Post your job online:
- Post your print shop assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit print shop assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
- Use field-specific websites.
- Post a job on free websites.
Interview candidates
Your first interview with print shop assistant candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.
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 shop assistant
Once you've decided on a perfect print shop assistant candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 shop assistant?

Recruiting print shop assistants involves both the one-time costs of hiring and the ongoing costs of adding a new employee to your team. Your spending during the hiring process will mostly be on things like promoting the job on job boards, reviewing and interviewing candidates, and onboarding the new hire. Ongoing costs will obviously involve the employee's salary, but also may include things like benefits.

You can expect to pay around $32,226 per year for a print shop assistant, 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 shop assistants in the US typically range between $12 and $19 an hour.

How to hire a print shop assistant