SalaryExplorer

SOC 51-5111 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS

Prepress Technicians and Workers — Houston

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · 4 metro areas compared

$35,810 /year
$17.22per hour
800jobs in area
−26.5%vs US median

The median wage for Prepress Technicians and Workers in Houston, TX is $35,810 per year, substantially below the national median of $48,690 — a gap of 26.5%.

Wage distribution · annual

Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners

US MEDIAN $48,69010TH$32,540MEDIAN$35,81075TH$41,81090TH$48,080

How pay has moved

$42,708$21,3632019202020212022202320242025$35,810
$27,850 in 2019 to $35,810 in 2025, +28.6% before inflation. BLS states that OEWS estimates are not designed for comparison across years: the occupational classification, the sampling frame and the survey method have all changed inside this window. Read the direction, not the exact difference.

The next ten years

Projected to decline

Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
-14.6%
Openings per year
2,800
Typical entry-level education
Postsecondary nondegree award

Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.

12.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.

Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.

Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.

Salary overview

The median wage for Prepress Technicians and Workers in Houston, TX is $35,810 per year, substantially below the national median of $48,690 — a gap of 26.5%. Half of workers earn between $35,810 and $41,810. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $32,540 and the ninetieth at $48,080.

The area has 800 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.2 of every thousand jobs. Within the state, Dallas records the highest median at $44,980. Of the 699 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 623rd.

Percentile breakdown

Annual wages by percentile · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · May 2025
PercentileAnnualvs US median
10th$32,540−33.2%
25th$35,810−26.5%
Median (50th)$35,810−26.5%
75th$41,810−14.1%
90th$48,080−1.3%
Mean$38,960−20.0%

Why the average earner is usually not a typical earner

Other metro areas in Texas

Median annual wage for Prepress Technicians and Workers, by metro area
#Metro areaMedianJobsRelative
1Dallas$44,980900
2Austin$43,700150
3San Antonio$39,940110
4College Station$30,27030

What the pay is worth locally

Prices in Houston sit close to the national average, so $35,810 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.

Published median

$35,810as reported by BLS

Local price level

98.6US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Adjusted for local prices

$36,318US average = 100 · BEA 2024

Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest

Key takeaways

  • Median pay is $35,810 a year, 26.5% below the national median.
  • Published pay spans $32,540 to $48,080 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
  • The area has 800 jobs in this occupation.
  • The highest-paying metro area covered is Dallas, at $44,980.

Frequently asked questions

What is the median wage for Prepress Technicians and Workers in Houston, TX?

The median annual wage is $35,810, or $17.22 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.

Is that higher than the national average?

The national median for this occupation is $48,690, so pay in Houston, TX is 26.5% lower. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.

What do the top earners make?

The top tenth of this occupation in Houston, TX earns more than $48,080 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.

What is the starting range?

The tenth percentile wage is $32,540 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.

Which area nearby pays the most?

The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Dallas, at $44,980 per year.

How many jobs are there in this occupation here?

The survey estimates 800 jobs in this occupation in Houston, TX. Self-employed workers are not included.

Source and methodology

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.