NOC 73401: Printing press operators
What printing press operators do
Printing press operators set up and operate sheet and web-fed presses to print text, illustrations and designs on a wide variety of materials such as paper, plastic, glass, leather and metal. They are employed by commercial printing companies; newspapers, magazines, and other publishing companies; and establishments in the public and private sectors that have in-house printing departments. Apprentices are also included in this unit group.
Main duties
This group performs some or all of the following duties:
- Review job orders to determine job specifications such as production time, colour sequence and quantities required, and advise press crew of these specifications
- Mount plates or cylinders and make necessary adjustments
- Fill ink fountains and take measurements, make adjustments and determine settings to control colour and viscosity
- Set up press and check samples for ink coverage, alignment and registration
- Monitor regular press runs for quality and consistency using computer control console and make adjustments as required
- Remove and clean plates and cylinders at end of press run
- Direct activities of press crew and ensure that safety procedures are adhered to.
Job titles under NOC 73401
80 job titles are classified here, including apprentice pressman/woman, assistant pressman/woman, first pressman/woman.
- apprentice press operator
- apprentice press operator - printing
- apprentice pressman/woman
- apprentice pressman/woman - printing
- apprentice printing press operator
- assistant press operator - printing
- assistant pressman/woman
- assistant pressman/woman - printing
- commercial press operator
- cylinder press operator - printing
- cylinder press set-up operator
- cylinder pressman/woman - printing
- cylinder printing press set-up operator
- first press operator - printing
- first pressman/woman
- first pressman/woman - printing
- flat-bed press set-up operator
- flexographic press adjuster
- flexographic press operator
- flexographic press set-up technician - printing
- flexographic pressman/woman
- gravure press operator
- gravure pressman/woman
- gravure printer - printing
Employment requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a college program in printing technology or A combination of on-the-job training and specialized high school, college or industry courses is usually required.
- Trade certification is available, but voluntary, in Québec.
Printing press operators 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 | $18.27/hr | $25.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Toronto ON | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Montréal QC | $17.08/hr | $24.50/hr | $33.02/hr |
Vancouver Lower Mainland region, BC | $19.00/hr | $26.50/hr | $40.16/hr |
Calgary AB | $20.89/hr | $27.49/hr | $36.76/hr |
Edmonton AB | $22.31/hr | $26.76/hr | $36.43/hr |
Ottawa ON | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Winnipeg MB | $18.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $31.50/hr |
Québec City Quebec region, QC | $20.60/hr | $26.65/hr | $37.00/hr |
Hamilton Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula region, ON | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Kitchener-Waterloo Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie region, ON | $21.20/hr | $27.66/hr | $33.26/hr |
London ON | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Halifax NS | $17.25/hr | $20.00/hr | $25.50/hr |
Victoria Vancouver Island and Coast region, BC | $19.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
| Where | Low | Median | High |
|---|---|---|---|
Nova Scotia | $17.25/hr | $20.00/hr | $25.50/hr |
New Brunswick | $15.65/hr | $21.50/hr | $30.00/hr |
Quebec | $20.60/hr | $26.65/hr | $37.00/hr |
Ontario | $19.00/hr | $25.00/hr | $35.00/hr |
Manitoba | $18.00/hr | $24.00/hr | $31.50/hr |
Alberta | $19.86/hr | $27.56/hr | $34.51/hr |
British Columbia | $19.00/hr | $28.00/hr | $40.00/hr |
Using NOC 73401 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 80 titles above are how the same work is named across employers.
Not in this group
Similar jobs classified under a different NOC code:
- Colour and large copier operator (NOC 94150)
- Laser printer operator (NOC 94150)
- Printing machine operator (NOC 94150)
- Screen printing artisan (NOC 53124)
- Supervisors, printing and related occupations (NOC 72022)
- Textile printer (NOC 94130)
Frequently asked questions
What is the NOC code for printing press operators?
Printing press operators are NOC 2021 unit group 73401. Example job titles in this group include apprentice pressman/woman, assistant pressman/woman, first pressman/woman, flexographic press operator.
What TEER is NOC 73401?
NOC 73401 is TEER 3 (College or apprenticeship (under 2 years)). Usually requires a college program or apprenticeship of less than 2 years, or more than six months of on-the-job training. TEER 0, 1, 2 and 3 work counts as skilled work experience for Express Entry’s Federal Skilled Worker and Canadian Experience Class programs.
How much do printing press operators earn in Canada?
Job Bank's 2025 wage data puts the median at $25.00/hr, about $49,000 a year full-time, with a range of $18.27/hr to $35.00/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.