Printing machine assistants: average salary and pay in the UK
Full-time printing machine assistants in the UK earned a median £29,925 in the year to 5 April 2025, according to the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): 23% 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 (102nd from the bottom).
Median full-time pay: women £25,294 a year, men £31,423 a year.
ASHE counts roughly 11,000 employee jobs, 91% full-time.
Since 2021 the median has risen 29.6% (from £23,082), faster than 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | – | £484.10 | – | – | – | – |
| 20th percentile | – | £503.80 | £12.76 | – | £489.70 | £12.80 |
| 25th percentile | £25,351 | £514.60 | £12.96 | £25,117* | £504.40 | £12.99 |
| 30th percentile | £26,487 | £528.10 | £13.21 | £25,602 | £518.10 | £13.28 |
| 40th percentile | £28,475 | £550.80 | £13.84 | £27,167 | £537.10 | £13.91 |
| Median (50th percentile) | £29,925* | £603.90 | £15.33 | £29,657* | £576.10 | £15.33 |
| 60th percentile | £33,288 | £670.80 | £15.69 | £33,175 | £659.10 | £15.71 |
| 70th percentile | £37,245* | £718.50 | £17.99 | £36,998* | £700.20 | £17.99 |
| 75th percentile | – | £734.00 | £18.25 | – | £723.90 | £18.28 |
| Mean | £32,209 | £636.40 | £15.68 | £31,456 | £608.00 | £15.80 |
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 | £23,082 | £444.30 | £10.99 | £22,132 | £432.00 | 11* |
| 2022 revised | £24,174 | £459.70 | £12.26 | £24,175 | £450.90 | 14* |
| 2023 revised | £26,046 | £524.80 | £13.91 | £25,397 | £514.50 | 10* |
| 2024 revised | £27,396 | £540.60 | £13.94 | £26,891 | £525.30 | 12* |
| 2025 provisional | £29,925* | £603.90 | £15.33 | £29,657* | £576.10 | 11* |
What printing machine assistants do
Printing machine assistants set and operate letterpress, platen or cylinder, lithographic and photogravure printing machines, photocopiers, office printers, duplication machines and other reprographic equipment. (ONS SOC 2020, 8135)
Also covers: finishing operative (printing), lithographer (printing), machinist (printing), print operator, printer’s assistant, back tenter, bindery technician, blue printer, box stamper, brake hand, brush stamper, cloth stamper, collar stamper, collating machinist, controller hand, cylinder machinist, decollating machinist and die sinker (135 titles in the ONS coding index).
- Positions printing plates, loads inks into reservoirs and loads paper rolls or sheets into printing press
- Sets controls to control the speed, pressure and ink flow of printing machine
- Loads photocopiers, office printers, duplication machines and other reprographic equipment with stationery
- Starts reprographic or printing machine and monitors operation for paper misfeeds and error messages, removes blockages and replaces damaged paper, and monitors quality of output
- Carries out routine maintenance and cleaning of printing machine
- Sets and operates machines for cutting paper to specified dimensions or for folding or binding to produce finished paper items
No academic qualifications are required. Off and on-the-job training is provided. NVQs/SVQs in Screen Printing are available at levels 1 and 2, and in Machine Printing at levels 2 and 3.
Related
Plant and machine operatives (median £33,197) · Water and sewerage plant operatives · Energy plant operatives · salary percentile · UK average weekly earnings growth · Median
ASHE Table 14: 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 · coding index · notes · 15 October 2026