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

What is a mac operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a mac operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $20.95 an hour? That's $43,586 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -14% and produce -1,300 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMac OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,586

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.6

Growth Rate -14%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 7.26%

Black or African American 10.11%

Hispanic or Latino 18.02%

Unknown 3.54%

White 60.56%

Gender

female 28.71%

male 71.29%

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

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Key steps to become a mac operator

Explore mac operator education requirements

Most common mac operator degrees

Bachelor's

42.8 %

Associate

35.3 %

High School Diploma

10.2 %

Start to develop specific mac operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Adobe Photoshop	15.23%
Adobe Illustrator	12.72%
Color Correction	10.31%
Adobe Indesign	6.45%
Quark	4.27%

Complete relevant mac operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mac 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 mac operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mac operator resumes.

Research mac operator duties and responsibilities

Manage day-to-day operations and supervise employees to ensure the studio run smoothly.
Prepare PDF files for follow-on printing.
Prepare client PDF documents for proofs and print.
Perform quality control functions on digital files for computer to plate (CTP) distribution.

Prepare your mac operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mac 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 mac 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 Mac Operator Resume templates

Build a professional Mac 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 Mac Operator resume.

Apply for mac operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a mac 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