Career Atlas USA

Print Binding and Finishing Workers

Median salary
$42,290
Average salary
$44,460
Employment
33,180
Projected growth
16.1% decline
Annual openings
2,800
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent

What Print Binding and Finishing Workers Do

Bind books and other publications or finish printed products by hand or machine. May set up binding and finishing machines.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 20242034.

Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
Not available

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience
Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education
Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training
Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

  • Administration and Managementimportance 3.5/5
  • Production and Processingimportance 3.4/5
  • Mechanicalimportance 3.2/5
  • Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.1/5
  • Mathematicsimportance 2.9/5
  • English Languageimportance 2.9/5
  • Administrativeimportance 2.8/5
  • Education and Trainingimportance 2.7/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

  • Spend Time Standing4.7/5
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.7/5
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.5/5
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.3/5
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls4.3/5
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.3/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

  • Operations Monitoringimportance 3.4/5
  • Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5
  • Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.0/5
  • Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.0/5
  • Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
  • Instructingimportance 2.9/5
  • Operation and Controlimportance 2.9/5
  • Equipment Maintenanceimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Other Software Used

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Cautiousness
  • Perseverance
  • Achievement Orientation
  • Integrity
  • Stress Tolerance

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

  • ConventionalHigh
  • RealisticHigh
  • ArtisticLow
  • SocialLow
  • EnterprisingLow
  • InvestigativeLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where print binding and finishing workers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

  1. 1Oshkosh-Neenah, WI12.23× national avg
  2. 2Mayaguez, PR12.17× national avg
  3. 3Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV11.01× national avg
  4. 4Appleton, WI9.35× national avg
  5. 5Green Bay, WI8.99× national avg
Full salary data & percentiles →Best states for this career →Highest-paying states →