Print finishing and binding workers: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time print finishing and binding workers in the UK earned a median £27,315 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 30% less than the £39,039 median for all full-time jobs.
What the figures show
It is in the lowest-paid third of the 382 occupations (52nd from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £24,079 a year, men £27,346 a year.
From £21,455 in 2021, the median is up 27.3%, close to the 25.0% for all jobs.
Pay distribution, 2025 provisional
| Gross pay | Full-time, annual | Full-time, weekly | Full-time, hourly | All, annual | All, weekly | All, hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25th percentile | – | – | – | – | – | £12.50 |
| 30th percentile | – | £490.50 | £12.69 | £22,676* | £453.00* | £12.58 |
| 40th percentile | £25,687 | £499.40 | £13.18 | £23,871* | £477.00* | £12.90 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £27,315 | £523.40 | £13.73 | £25,296 | £499.20 | £13.47 |
| 60th percentile | £27,841* | £564.40 | £14.05 | £26,568* | £541.40 | £14.06* |
| 70th percentile | – | – | – | – | – | £16.69* |
| Mean | £29,203 | £585.80 | £15.28 | £25,591 | £519.40 | £15.36 |
Pay since 2021
| ASHE year | Full-time, annual median | Full-time, weekly median | Full-time, hourly median | All, annual median | All, weekly median | Jobs (thousands, indicative) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 revised | £21,455 | £401.80 | £10.32 | £20,559 | £393.60 | 9* |
| 2022 revised | £22,943 | £438.70 | £11.41 | £22,573 | £436.30 | 7* |
| 2023 revised | £25,724 | £517.50 | £13.57 | £24,468 | £486.80 | 7* |
| 2024 revised | £25,602 | £494.90 | £13.43 | £25,031 | £484.40 | 8* |
| 2025 provisional | £27,315 | £523.40 | £13.73 | £25,296 | £499.20 | 6* |
What print finishing and binding workers do
Print finishing and binding workers bind books and other publications and finish printed items by hand or machine. (ONS SOC 2020, 5423)
Also covers: binder’s assistant, book binder, finishing supervisor (printing), print finisher, retoucher (film processing), binder's assistant, bindery assistant, bindery worker, book finisher, book folder, book repairer, book restorer, bookbinder's assistant, braille copyist, card perforator, cloth cutter, collotype machinist and colour prover (116 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Folds, collates and sews printed sheets by hand or machine
- Compresses sewn book in nipping machine to expel air and reduce swelling caused by sewing
- Trims head, tail and fore-edge of book and gilds and marbles page edges as necessary
- Cuts board and cloth for book cover and spine
- Embosses lettering or decoration on cover by hand or machine
- Repairs worn book bindings
There are no formal academic requirements although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades. Training is typically received on-the-job. Traineeships and apprenticeships in Machine Printing are available at NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3.
Related
Printing trades (median £28,911) · Printers · Pre-press technicians · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026