Also called: Screen Printing Technician, Press Operator
Prints designs onto T-shirts, posters, and merch by pushing ink through mesh screens.
They burn designs onto screens, mix ink colors, and run shirts through a manual or automatic press. Band merch, team jerseys, and school shirts keep shops busy. Many printers also design the art.
Based on BLS printing press operators (51-5112).
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. High school diploma; learned on the job.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Graphic Arts Technology.
Shrinking (about -12% over 10 years). Printing jobs overall are declining, though custom apparel printing is a bright spot.
Medium risk for 10 years. Direct-to-garment printers and automated presses replace much small-run work; custom hand printing stays a niche craft.
Age 16+. One way to start: Apply to local T-shirt and screen print shops for press helper jobs
Classes: Art or printmaking, Graphic design CTE, Business.
Official data: O*NET occupation 51-5112.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.