How To Become A Lead Press Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a lead press operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average lead press operator salary is $43,547. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an business major. It usually takes 2-4 years of experience to become a lead press operator. Lead press operators with a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -5% and produce -45,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreLead Press OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,547

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.6

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.54%

Asian 6.46%

Black or African American 10.42%

Hispanic or Latino 15.33%

Unknown 3.72%

White 63.53%

Gender

female 12.48%

male 87.52%

Age - 50

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 50

Stress Level

7.6

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.3

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a lead press operator

Explore lead press operator education requirements

Most common lead press operator degrees

High School Diploma

50.6 %

Associate

22.5 %

Bachelor's

12.1 %

Start to develop specific lead press operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Safety Procedures	15.48%
Routine Maintenance	13.91%
Preventative Maintenance	11.55%
Press Operators	6.61%
UV	4.43%

Complete relevant lead press operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New lead press operators learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a lead press operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real lead press operator resumes.

Research lead press operator duties and responsibilities

Manage output of film, using page-layout applications QuarkXpress and PageMaker.
Manage the production flow from typesetting - paste-up, imaging, layout, composing, proofing and plating for press.
Need method to proactively manage the business improving cross-functional collaboration & KPI visibility.
Mark Andy - 2200 / 10"six color press.

Get lead press operator experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a lead press operator. The most common roles before becoming a lead press operator include press operator, pressman team lead and supervisor.

Prepare your lead press operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your lead press operator resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a lead press operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Lead Press Operator Resume templates

Build a professional Lead Press Operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Lead Press Operator resume.

Apply for lead press operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a lead press operator job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do lead press operators rate their job?