Best degree programs for Desktop Publishers, ranked by enrollment
2 college programs and 84 schools train Desktop Publishers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $55,290 median wage, 3,350 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
2 college programs at 84 schools train desktop publishers, graduating 1,342 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design. The job pays a median of $55,290 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About desktop publishers
Format typescript and graphic elements using computer software to produce publication-ready material.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
2 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 10.0303 | 1,335 | 99.5% | 83 | $25,121 | $26,958 |
| 2 | CIP 10.0308 | 7 | 0.5% | 1 | $25,121 | $26,958 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What desktop publishers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $71,930 | 320 | 0.82× | 40 | 654 |
| Texasmoderate | $57,760 | 270 | 0.90× | 3 | 205 |
| Florida | $52,720 | 150 | 0.70× | 7 | 105 |
| Illinois | $61,350 | 150 | 1.16× | 6 | 60 |
| New Jerseylimited | $63,020 | 100 | 1.09× | 2 | 46 |
| Wisconsinlimited | $46,010 | 40 | 0.67× | 1 | 44 |
| Michiganlimited | $45,300 | 40 | 0.45× | 2 | 16 |
| Ohiolimited | $53,380 | 60 | 0.48× | 1 | 7 |
| Massachusettslimited | $61,170 | 80 | 1.05× | 1 | 5 |
| Oklahomalimited | $46,040 | 40 | 0.96× | 2 | 5 |
| Oregonlimited | $50,650 | 90 | 2.14× | 1 | 5 |
| Minnesotalimited | $54,930 | 90 | 1.36× | 1 | 2 |
| Pennsylvanialimited | — | 140 | 1.09× | 1 | 2 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Operate desktop publishing software and equipment to design, lay out, and produce camera-ready copy.
- Position text and art elements from a variety of databases in a visually appealing way to design print or web pages, using knowledge of type styles and size and layout patterns.
- Check preliminary and final proofs for errors and make necessary corrections.
- View monitors for visual representation of work in progress and for instructions and feedback throughout process, making modifications as necessary.
- Enter text into computer keyboard and select the size and style of type, column width, and appropriate spacing for printed materials.
- Prepare sample layouts for approval, using computer software.
- Import text and art elements, such as electronic clip art or electronic files from photographs that have been scanned or produced with a digital camera, using computer software.
- Study layout or other design instructions to determine work to be done and sequence of operations.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension3.8
- Critical Thinking3.8
- Active Listening3.5
- Speaking3.5
- Writing3.1
- Monitoring3.0
- Active Learning3.0
- Learning Strategies2.9
Knowledge areas
- Computers and Electronics4.0
- Communications and Media3.6
- English Language3.4
- Administrative2.8
- Production and Processing2.8
- Design2.6
Abilities
- Near Vision4.1
- Information Ordering4.0
- Visualization3.9
- Originality3.9
- Fluency of Ideas3.8
- Written Comprehension3.8
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.5
- Getting Information4.3
- Thinking Creatively4.2
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.9
- Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.9
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates3.9
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Desktop Publisher
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Associate's degree
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 2 majors mapped to Desktop Publishers2 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 10.0303Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design
- 10.0308Computer Typography and Composition Equipment Operator
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a Desktop Publisher?+
Associate's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Prepress/Desktop Publishing and Digital Imaging Design, which awarded 1,335 degrees in 2024-25, 99.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Desktop Publisher?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 2 programs to this occupation. The largest are Graphic Communications. Together they graduate about 1,342 people a year.
How much do desktop publishers earn?+
The median is $55,290 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $35,680 at the 10th percentile to $96,170 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for desktop publishers growing?+
BLS projects a -12.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
84 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 2 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do desktop publishers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Publisher, Compositor, Computer Typesetter, Electronic Console Display Operator among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 43-9031.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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