NOC 14112: Desktop publishing operators and related occupations
What desktop publishing operators and related occupations do
Desktop publishing operators and workers in related occupations use computers to enter copy into a typesetting system or operate typesetting output equipment to produce text that is ready to print. They are employed by firms that specialize in typesetting, commercial printing companies, publishing and printing companies and various establishments in the public and private sectors that have in-house printing departments.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Desktop publishing operators
- Operate desktop publishing software and equipment to design, lay out and produce camera-ready copy and may perform pre-flight operator duties
- Mark copy with computer codes and typographic instructions before it is typeset
- Typesetting input and output operators
- Input copy, codes or commands and subsequent corrections into typesetting device or system
- Operate media conversion equipment to process and format copy transmitted through telecommunications
- Operate and tend typesetting output devices, load and process photosensitive material and perform routine maintenance.
Job titles under NOC 14112
69 job titles are classified here, including braille keyboard operator - typesetting, compositor - typesetting, computer typesetter.
- ad compositor - typesetting
- braille keyboard operator - typesetting
- braille stereograph machine operator
- cold-composition typographer
- cold-typesetting typographer
- composing machine operator - typesetting
- compositor - typesetting
- compositor-typographer
- computer photocompositor
- computer phototypesetter
- computer typesetter
- copy cutter
- copy marker - typesetting
- copy stylist - typesetting
- copy typist - typesetting
- desktop compositor
- desktop publishing (DTP) operator
- desktop publishing (DTP) specialist
- electronic formatter
- electronic letterer operator
- electronic photocomposer operator
- electronic phototypesetting machine operator
- electronic sign maker operator - typesetting
- formatter operator - typesetting
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is required.
- Completion of a college program in graphic arts, or other training in typography, computer typesetting or desktop publishing, is usually required.
Desktop publishing operators and related occupations wages in Canada
Low, median and high hourly wages from Job Bank’s 2025 wage data. Annual figures assume full-time work (1,950 hours a year).
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Canada | $18.00/hr | $23.77/hr | $32.50/hr |
Toronto ON | $17.60/hr | $20.00/hr | $28.01/hr |
Montréal QC | $17.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $31.26/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $18.50/hr | $24.52/hr | $31.50/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Quebec | $18.50/hr | $24.52/hr | $31.50/hr |
Ontario | $18.00/hr | $22.35/hr | $31.73/hr |
British Columbia | $18.00/hr | $23.00/hr | $35.36/hr |
Using NOC 14112 for your resume or Express Entry profile
- IRCC asks you to make sure the main duties listed for your NOC match what you actually did at your job. If they don’t, look for another unit group whose duties do.
- Describe your own work in your own words. Recruiters and ATS software look for concrete tools, results and scope, not text copied from the NOC.
- Applying from outside Canada? Run your resume through the Canadian resume format checker to catch things Canadian employers don’t expect, like a photo or date of birth.
- Use the job title the employer’s posting uses. The 69 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Desktop publishing operators supervisor (NOC 12010)
- File preparation operator (NOC 94151)
- Graphic arts copy stylist (NOC 52111)
- Graphic designers and illustrators (NOC 52120)
- Paste-up artist (NOC 52111)
- Pre-flight operator - printing (NOC 94151)
- Proofreader (NOC 14301)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for desktop publishing operators and related occupations?
Desktop publishing operators and related occupations are NOC 2021 unit group 14112. Example job titles in this group include braille keyboard operator - typesetting, compositor - typesetting, computer typesetter, copy marker - typesetting.
What TEER is NOC 14112?
NOC 14112 is TEER 4 (High school and on-the-job training). Usually requires completion of secondary school, or several weeks of on-the-job training. TEER 4 and 5 work does not count as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker or Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do desktop publishing operators and related occupations earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $23.77/hr, about $46,000 a year full-time, with a range of $18.00/hr to $32.50/hr.
Related occupations
Sources: Statistics Canada, National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 Version 1.0; Employment and Social Development Canada, Job Bank wages (2025). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. OfferJetAI is not affiliated with the Government of Canada. Check IRCC’s NOC guidance before you apply.