how much does a printer earn in North Usa?

Hi guys!

I'm moving to Pittsburgh in winter and plan on continuing working there as a printer. I worked as an offset printer in germany for 9 years. My questions are:

-how much does a printer earn on average in North America?
-Is it true that the shifts as a printer in America is often 12 hours long?

Thanks for your help,

Fritz

 

Depends on what kind of offset printing you are experienced with, my immediate answer would be... not enough.

As far as shifts go, we do what we gotta do, all depends on the shop. Some shops are 4 shifts 7 days, 3 shifts 5... etc.

 

So you basically say printers don't earn well compared to other jobs? Or do you mean printers don't earn enough like most other jobs don't as well?

 

My bad, I was being a bit sarcastic there, bad day. It all depends on what type of printing you will be doing.

 

Well that's okay.

I'm an offset printer, mainly sheetfed, printing magazines and stuff. In Germany there is no huge different between the different printers, so what is well paied and what is not that well paid in america? Do you get a lot of money by working shifts?

 

You'll earn more pay if you have your journeymen in printing otherwise you can guess that you won't be making anything close to the $20/hour mark. If the shop your looking into has shifts then you will get a shift premium for working the late shift its like a $1 more an hour maybe more depending on the employer. Most printers here do it cuz they love printing they aren't concerned about the dollar amount

 

Thanks for the answer. How are my chances to get a job as a printer? Does it make a difference to the companys that I have done a 3 year long Vocational Training including part-time vocational school in Germany or do they not care about that?

I have a 9 year long experience in printing. Can I become a journeyman in America after a while or do I need to work there for a couple years? To make the journeyman do I need to go to school or is it just a test?

I worked on following machines:

MAN Roland 700
6 colors + varnish

MAN Roland 600
4 colors Five-Cylinder-System

MAN Roland 200
2 colors Five-Cylinder-System

Heidelberg GTO V
4 colors

Heidelberg GTO Z
2 colors

Drent Gazelle 6 excel
5 colors rotary with pile delivery

 

The Journeymen is just a test they come to your shop and have you print a couple things. You gotta be able to keep yourself clean (no ink on hands and what not) and a couple other things. Also gotta be able to show them how to adjust your press (plate to blanket, form roller pressure, etc.). Now this is what my boss told me she has been printing for over 30 years and a couple of her previous pressmen got a journeymen then she had to let them go cuz she couldn't afford to pay em. With your experience you should be able to get a good starting wage even without a journeymen and your vocational training will look very impressive to most shops

 

The german way of education might be different to US. When you talk about Journeymen, do they come from a Union like printers union? A Journeyman means in Germany craftsmen who are on the Waltz for 3 Years, f.e. Carpenter. It´s Tradition and voluntarily. They have to avoid it´s hometown for this time. Printmen ususally don´t go for Waltz.
After vocational training they have to pass a hard test to become Assistant / Journeyman. Tests usually will be held in an outside company, in a strange environment, at strange machines. Supervised by Chamber officials.

 

HELLO FRITZ
just wanted to wish you luck in your search and give you a heads up the american economy is in ahuge slump
right now and the printing industry in peticular are going through hard times. having said that it may take awhile to
find work . iwas trained by a german pressman who taught me well,30 years later/still printing. good luck

 

Well, we are talking about America not Germany. And yes Journeymen in the print industry are a union Also German Schooling is far more advanced then American schooling