Will AI replace printing workers?
3 jobs scored. On average 63% of the task time in these jobs still needs a person, and the family averages 77 out of 100 on Still needs a human, where higher is safer.
77
Average Still needs a human score, 0 to 100 ↑ safer. Will AI replace them? A little.
3
Jobs scored in this family
63%
Average share of Task timeHow a job’s working hours divide between its tasks. Tasks that matter more and come up more often get a bigger share.More in the glossary that still needs a person
201k
US workers in these jobs
How the work could shift in Printing Workers
The share of US workers in these jobs whose job would sit in each band, from today to 2060.
Today
17%
of US workers in this family are in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
0% are in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
By 2045
2%
of US workers in this family would still be in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
22% would be in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
By 2060
2%
of US workers in this family would still be in jobs that mostly need a person (our top band, Nah.)
88% would be in jobs AI could largely do (Largely.)
Each job's score moves towards the bottom band (Largely: AI could largely do the job) by the year it could be largely automated, slowly at first and faster later, as adoption usually goes. Each job is run as ten scenarios across its replacement range, so every figure mixes early and late outcomes. The model stops at 2060. How the timeline works
Will AI replace the job?Largely.Mostly.Partly.A little.Nah.
Show the data
| Year | Largely | Mostly | Partly | A little | Nah |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today (2026) | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 83.5% | 16.5% |
| 2030 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 88.5% | 11.5% |
| 2035 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 41.4% | 56.9% | 1.6% |
| 2040 | 0.0% | 30.7% | 54.3% | 13.3% | 1.6% |
| 2045 | 22.4% | 53.9% | 13.8% | 8.4% | 1.6% |
| 2050 | 50.7% | 37.6% | 1.6% | 8.4% | 1.6% |
| 2055 | 77.9% | 12.1% | 0.0% | 8.4% | 1.6% |
| 2060 | 88.4% | 1.6% | 0.0% | 8.4% | 1.6% |
Every job in Printing Workers, ranked
Prepress Technicians and WorkersProduction · 51-5111
70↑ saferAI replace? A little.
AI does 8%AI helps 61%Needs a human 31%
20512045–2060+
24k
$48,690
Printing Press OperatorsProduction · 51-5112
77↑ saferAI replace? A little.
AI does 0%AI helps 33%Needs a human 67%
20542046–2060+
144k
$45,780
Print Binding and Finishing WorkersProduction · 51-5113
84↑ saferAI replace? Nah.
AI does 0%AI helps 10%Needs a human 90%
20572046–2060+
33k
$42,290