SOC 51-5112 · Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro

Printing Press Operators Salary in Durham, NC

The average salary for printing press operators in Durham, North Carolina is $46,870 a year ($22.54 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $43,440: half of the 250 people in this job in the Durham-Chapel Hill, NC metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($48,046).

$46,870average per year

$22.54 / hourMedian $43,440Take-home ≈ $38,479

  • $36K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $52K75th
  • $67K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

250people in this job
-2%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 12North Carolina metros
98cost of living (U.S. = 100)
Advertisement

Printing Press Operators pay range in Durham

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,670 a year or less, while the top 10% make $66,710 or more. The middle half of printing press operators in Durham earn between $38,150 and $52,020.

  • $36K10th
  • $38K25th
  • $43KMedian
  • $52K75th
  • $67K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$46,870$3,906$22.53
Median$43,440$3,620$20.88
Entry level (25th percentile)$38,150$3,179$18.34
Experienced (75th percentile)$52,020$4,335$25.01

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Printing Press Operators salary after taxes in Durham

On the average salary of $46,870, a single filer in Durham takes home about $38,479 a year, or $3,207 a month and $1,480 every two weeks. Taxes take 18% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

Advertisement

Is Durham a good place for printing press operators? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Durham area are 2% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 97.6), so the average $46,870 buys what about $48,036 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 0.7 times the median wage of all jobs in Durham ($60,720). A typical home costs $414,340, or 8.8 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $46,870 is worth in another city

Printing Press Operators salary in other North Carolina cities

Durham ranks 5th of 12 North Carolina metro areas for this job; Hickory pays the most ($50,070).

All Printing Press Operators salaries in North Carolina

Highest-paying cities for printing press operators

Washington, DC pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($60,820).

Printing Press Operators salary by city

Advertisement

Does this match what you are paid?

Anonymous, no account. Results update as visitors answer.

Share your pay anonymously

Reviewed before it counts. Printing Press Operators in Durham, NC.

Printing Press Operators salary in Durham: questions

How much do printing press operators make an hour in Durham?

$22.54 an hour on average, and $20.89 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level printing press operators salary in Durham?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $35,670 a year and the 25th percentile is $38,150, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the printing press operators take-home pay in Durham?

About $38,479 a year ($3,207 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $46,870.

Do printing press operators earn more in Durham than elsewhere?

The average here is about the same as the U.S. metro average for this job ($48,046).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-5112; area Durham-Chapel Hill, NC (20500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.0%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.78, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.78).

Read the full methodology. Spotted an error? Tell us.