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The differences between printer operators and press assistants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a printer operator and a press assistant. Additionally, a printer operator has an average salary of $36,411, which is higher than the $33,732 average annual salary of a press assistant.
The top three skills for a printer operator include troubleshoot, quality checks and quality standards. The most important skills for a press assistant are hand tools, preventative maintenance, and safety policies.
| Printer Operator | Press Assistant | |
| Yearly salary | $36,411 | $33,732 |
| Hourly rate | $17.51 | $16.22 |
| Growth rate | - | -5% |
| Number of jobs | 43,730 | 5,056 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A printer operator is tasked to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot all printing equipment in a company. This person performs all necessary printing requests coming from customers and the company and is expected to have a working knowledge of various printing equipment and printing techniques to assure quality. The printer operator must also know about design, use of color, and other creative aspects to provide last-minute adjustments on printing jobs to avoid later revisions. The printer operator is vital personnel in businesses like publishing companies and creative houses.
Press assistants require physical fitness, stamina, and inventory management skills. Some of the job responsibilities consist of supervising and operating the press machine that produces newspapers, magazines, and books. Press assistants can be hired as consultants, or work for a specific agency, business, or individual.
Printer operators and press assistants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Printer Operator | Press Assistant | |
| Average salary | $36,411 | $33,732 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $53,000 | Between $26,000 And $42,000 |
| Highest paying City | Providence, RI | Leominster, MA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Washington |
| Best paying company | Quad | CPI Card Group |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Transportation |
There are a few differences between a printer operator and a press assistant in terms of educational background:
| Printer Operator | Press Assistant | |
| Most common degree | High School Diploma, 37% | Bachelor's Degree, 38% |
| Most common major | Business | Political Science |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between printer operators' and press assistants' demographics:
| Printer Operator | Press Assistant | |
| Average age | 48 | 48 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.1% Female, 31.9% | Male, 77.0% Female, 23.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.2% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 18.5% Asian, 7.2% White, 60.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 10.4% Unknown, 3.5% Hispanic or Latino, 15.6% Asian, 7.2% White, 62.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 5% | 5% |