What They Do: Desktop publishers use computer software to design page layouts for items that are printed or published online.
Work Environment: Many desktop publishers work full time, and they may need to work additional hours to meet publication deadlines.
How to Become One: Desktop publishers typically need an associate’s degree. They also receive short-term on-the-job training lasting about 1 month.
Salary: The median annual wage for desktop publishers is $46,910.
Job Outlook: Employment of desktop publishers is projected to decline 14 percent over the next ten years.
Related Careers: Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of desktop publishers with similar occupations.
Desktop publishers use computer software to design page layouts for newspapers, books, brochures, and other items that are printed or published online.
Desktop publishers typically do the following:
Desktop publishers use publishing software to create page layouts for print or electronic publication. They may edit text by correcting its spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
Desktop publishers often work with other design, media, or marketing workers, including writers, editors, and graphic designers. For example, they work with graphic designers to come up with images that complement the text and fit the available space.
Desktop publishers hold about 9,500 jobs. The largest employers of desktop publishers are as follows:
| Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers | 28% |
| Self-employed workers | 16% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 13% |
| Printing and related support activities | 2% |
Many desktop publishers work full time, and they may need to work additional hours to meet publication deadlines.
Get the education you need: Find schools for Desktop Publishers near you!
Desktop publishers usually need an associate's degree. They also receive short-term on-the-job training, lasting about 1 month.
Desktop publishers usually need an associate's degree, often in graphic design or graphic communications. Community colleges and technical schools offer desktop-publishing courses, which teach students how to create electronic page layouts and format text and graphics with the use of desktop-publishing software.
Desktop publishers typically receive short-term on-the-job training lasting about 1 month. They learn by working closely with more experienced workers or by taking classes that teach them how to use desktop-publishing software. Workers often need to continue training because publishing software changes over time.
Artistic ability. Desktop publishers must have a good eye for how graphics and text will look, so that they can create pages that are visually appealing and legible.
Communication skills. Desktop publishers must collaborate with others, such as writers, editors, and graphic designers, and communicate ideas effectively.
Detail oriented. Desktop publishers must pay attention to details such as margins, font sizes, and the overall appearance and accuracy of their work.
Organizational skills. Desktop publishers often work under strict deadlines and must be good at scheduling and prioritizing tasks in order to have documents ready in time for publication.
Many employers prefer to hire workers who have experience preparing layouts and using desktop-publishing software. Students may gain experience by working on a publication for a school or other organization.
The median annual wage for desktop publishers is $46,910. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,770, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $79,630.
The median annual wages for desktop publishers in the top industries in which they work are as follows:
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | $74,940 |
| Printing and related support activities | $48,620 |
| Newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers | $36,980 |
Many desktop publishers work full time, and they may need to work additional hours to meet publication deadlines.
Employment of desktop publishers is projected to decline 14 percent over the next ten years.
Despite declining employment, about 900 openings for desktop publishers are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire
Companies are expected to hire fewer desktop publishers as desktop-publishing tasks are increasingly performed by other types of workers, such as graphic designers, web designers, and editors. Furthermore, as organizations continue to publish their materials electronically instead of printing them, fewer desktop publishers are expected to be needed.
| Occupational Title | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | |||
| Desktop publishers | 9,500 | 8,200 | -14 | -1,300 |
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A portion of the information on this page is used by permission of the U.S. Department of Labor.