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Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers

ANZSCO ID 3922

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Overview

Snapshot

Employed
2,400
Future Growth
-4.1%
Weekly Earnings
$1,626
Full-Time Share
76%
Female Share
34%
Average age
44
About this data

Summary

Graphic Pre-Press Trades Workers manipulate, set and compose text and graphics into a format suitable for printing and other visual media.

Specialisations: Desktop Publishing Operator.

A certificate III or IV in print communications or printing and graphic arts is usually needed to work as a Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker. These courses are often completed as part of an apprenticeship.

Tasks

  • operating graphic cameras and other photographic equipment to reproduce camera-ready copy onto films, plates and digital output devices

  • using computer applications to generate images, text, layouts and impositions for print and other visual media displays

  • operating plate making equipment to reproduce images from film to printing plates, digital output devices and presses

  • operating computer screen-based equipment for scanning, colour separation, colour correction, masking, creative design, combining, imposing, retouching, and other processes used to transfer copy to film and produce film for plate, digital output and cylinder productions

  • carrying out digital and chemical proofing from digital systems, and negative and positive films

  • evaluating printed proofs, checking and correcting them for quality

  • preparing and exposing carbon tissue for laying on cylinders by transfer method, and developing images

Characteristics

Job Type
Technicians And Trades Workers
Skill Level
Medium skill
ANZSCO Occupation group
3922 Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers This occupation is Current selected
Unemployment Rate
Above average
Industries
Pathway(s)
  • Vocational Education and Training (VET)
  • Informal or on-the-job
Interests
  • Practical
  • Administrative
Physical Demand
  • Light

Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:

  • is expected to decline
  • is likely to reach 2,100 by 2026.

Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.

Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.

Projected Change
-4.1%
(or -100 jobs)
From
2,100
in 2021
To
2,100
in 2026

Number of Workers

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Year Employment
2011 3,200
2012 3,600
2013 1,700
2014 3,400
2015 1,700
2016 3,900
2017 1,000
2018 1,200
2019 2,900
2020 400
2021 2,100
2026 2,100

Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.

Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 80% of people employed as Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 14 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 41 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Median full-time earnings are $1,626 per week, this is similar to the all jobs median ($1,593):

    • 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,222
    • 1 in 4 earn more than $1,719

    Median hourly earnings are $32, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).

    Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.

Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Earnings Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers All Jobs Average
Full-Time Earnings 1,626 1,593
Total Earnings 0 0

Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.

Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
56.5%
2
Information Media and Telecommunications
13.0%
3
Other Services
13.0%
4
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
8.7%
5
Other industries
17.4%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

34.0% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

36.7% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

12.7% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

7.7% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

7.0% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

1.0% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.3% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.7% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers All Jobs Average
NSW 34.0 31.6
VIC 36.7 25.6
QLD 12.7 20.0
SA 7.7 7.0
WA 7.0 10.8
TAS 1.0 2.0
NT 0.3 1.0
ACT 0.7 1.9


  • Around 77% of Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    Victoria has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
44
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
34%
All Jobs Average is 48%

  • The median age of Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers is 44 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 34% of the workforce. This is 14 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers All Jobs Average
15-19 1.1 5.0
20-24 3.2 9.3
25-34 17.9 22.9
35-44 29.7 22.0
45-54 27.5 21.6
55-59 10.0 9.0
60-64 6.4 6.0
65 and Over 4.2 4.2
Median Age 44 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.

Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

A certificate III or IV in print communications or printing and graphic arts is usually needed to work as a Graphic Pre-press Trades Worker. These courses are often completed as part of an apprenticeship.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Printing & Graphic Arts VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 2.6 10.1
Bachelor degree 13.3 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 18.8 11.6
Certificate III/IV 43.9 21.1
Year 12 12.8 18.1
Year 11 3.0 4.8
Year 10 and below 5.5 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.

Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Graphic Pre-press Trades Workers who are hardworking, reliable and work well in a team.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 45%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 43%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 43%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 43%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 43%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 41%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 41%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 39%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 39%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 37%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 36%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 34%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 34%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 30%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.

  • 30%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 27%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 68%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 56%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 53%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 53%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 48%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 46%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 46%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 44%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 41%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 38%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 31%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 30%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 29%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 28%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 21%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 18%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 17%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 16%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 12%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 12%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 57%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 46%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 45%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 45%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 45%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 43%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 43%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 43%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 43%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 43%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 43%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 43%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 41%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 41%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 41%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 41%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 41%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 39%

    Finger dexterity

    Put together small parts with your fingers.

Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 75%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 63%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 62%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 61%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 61%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 60%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 57%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 57%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 55%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 52%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 52%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 48%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 47%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 46%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 44%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 43%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 42%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 40%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.

  • 38%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 35%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 90%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 81%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 24%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.

Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.

  • 67%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 52%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 40%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 38%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 38%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:

  • 98%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 94%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 93%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 92%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 89%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 87%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 84%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 82%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 79%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 79%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 77%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 74%

    Repeating same tasks

    Repeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.

  • 73%

    Making repetitive motions

    Spend time making repetitive motions.

  • 71%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 68%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 64%

    Physically close to people

    Work physically close to other people.

  • 64%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 63%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 62%

    Automation of tasks

    Do tasks that are mostly automated.

  • 60%

    Angry or unpleasant people

    Deal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-5111.00 - Prepress Technicians and Workers.

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