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Print Binding and Finishing Workers

Also called: Binder Operator, Bindery Operator, Bindery Worker, Book Binder

Bind books and other publications or finish printed products by hand or machine. May set up binding and finishing machines.

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Median pay BLS, 2025$42,290
Openings a year BLS, 2025–352,300
Typical education to start BLSHigh school diploma or equivalent
AI exposure BLS, Aug 2026 Low
Projected job growth BLS, 2025–35 -17.5%

What the data says: AI could halve the time on 3 of its 25 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 17.5% by 2035. How to think about this →

About this projection

BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”

It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”

On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”

Recent conditions

  • In 2024, 4.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
  • From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 8.4 hires for every 10 job openings in nondurable goods manufacturing, which employs about 88% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.

How to read these

Pay compared with all occupations BLS median wages Pays more than 15% of 825 occupations
lowest-paidhighest-paid

Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates

$29k$108knot published

Median pay in every state
StateMedianMiddle half earnJobs
Alabama$39,270$33,240 to $43,400440
Alaska$57,200$24,770 to $62,60030
Arizona$39,740$36,160 to $49,100240
Arkansas$41,040$39,000 to $47,440200
California$45,390$38,480 to $51,2301,590
Colorado$45,780$39,050 to $49,540370
Connecticut$47,750$37,520 to $59,910490
Delaware$40,080$31,200 to $56,19040
District of Columbia$108,080$99,940 to $108,080200
Florida$38,730$34,980 to $47,4001,320
Georgia$39,310$33,790 to $48,860790
Hawaii$41,050$34,460 to $44,68080
Idaho$40,200$29,160 to $41,90030
Illinois$47,880$39,370 to $50,7301,540
Indiana$38,730$36,130 to $47,660970
Iowa$38,790$36,590 to $47,670330
Kansas$37,470$33,800 to $43,320660
Kentucky$39,620$36,800 to $46,120410
Louisiana$36,230$30,750 to $45,810180
Maine$48,230$39,470 to $51,460180
Maryland$45,170$35,300 to $50,150560
Massachusetts$46,630$36,540 to $51,470750
Michigan$40,460$36,000 to $48,2301,320
Minnesota$48,390$43,060 to $59,1001,710
Mississippi$91,850$45,240 to $102,670110
Missouri$38,570$35,480 to $47,4401,010
Montana$36,220$35,530 to $45,17090
Nebraska$36,800$36,440 to $45,900210
Nevada$40,200$35,200 to $48,360350
New Hampshire$48,850$42,080 to $60,130140
New Jersey$46,600$36,210 to $58,4601,640
New Mexico$29,380$29,060 to $34,09080
New York$44,210$38,280 to $47,7501,150
North Carolina$39,580$37,270 to $47,8501,070
North Dakota$48,760$36,760 to $61,60080
Ohio$43,680$36,670 to $49,5401,700
Oklahoma$37,770$28,960 to $39,250140
Oregon$46,240$39,460 to $48,820240
Pennsylvania$43,010$37,320 to $48,9401,640
Puerto Rico$27,460$23,070 to $27,980300
Rhode Island$45,050$44,260 to $57,02040
South Carolina$40,820$34,350 to $46,000340
South Dakota$41,350$38,740 to $43,330110
Tennessee$36,960$33,050 to $46,370730
Texas$37,310$34,970 to $47,2401,820
Utah$39,570$37,900 to $46,460690
Vermont$48,930$48,600 to $54,86080
Virginia$42,780$35,340 to $50,810980
Washington$45,300$38,810 to $57,690460
West Virginia$41,340$41,340 to $48,680280
Wisconsin$43,400$38,100 to $47,8503,560

Nationally: $42,290. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this

How AI touches the work

What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.

AI could halve the time on 3 of its 25 tasks

0 · AI alone could halve the time 3 · AI + software built on it could 22 · Not much
AI ratingIts main tasks Share of Claude conversations
May 2026
AI + software Read work orders to determine instructions and specifications for machine set-up. Not published
Not much Trim edges of books to size, using cutting machines, book trimming machines, or hand cutters. Not published
Not much Examine stitched, collated, bound, or unbound product samples for defects, such as imperfect bindings, ink spots, torn pages, loose pages, or loose or uncut threads. Not published
Not much Lubricate, clean, or make minor repairs to machine parts to keep machines in working condition. Not published
Not much Set up or operate machines that perform binding operations, such as pressing, folding, or trimming. Not published
AI + software Maintain records, such as daily production records, using specified forms. under 0.01%
See all 25 tasks
Not much Prepare finished books for shipping by wrapping or packing books and stacking boxes on pallets. Not published
Not much Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions or to determine whether adjustments are needed. Not published
Not much Stitch or glue endpapers, bindings, backings, or signatures, using sewing machines, glue machines, or glue and brushes. Not published
Not much Install or adjust bindery machine devices, such as knives, guides, rollers, rounding forms, creasing rams, or clamps, to accommodate sheets, signatures, or books of specified sizes. Not published
Not much Set up or operate glue machines by filling glue reservoirs, turning switches to activate heating elements, or adjusting glue flow or conveyor speed. Not published
Not much Train workers to set up, operate, and use automatic bindery machines. Not published
Not much Set up or operate bindery machines, such as coil binders, thermal or tape binders, plastic comb binders, or specialty binders. Not published
Not much Cut binder boards to specified dimensions, using board shears, hand cutters, or cutting machines. Not published
Not much Form book bodies by folding and sewing printed sheets to form signatures and assembling signatures in numerical order. Not published
Not much Cut cover material to specified dimensions, fitting and gluing material to binder boards by hand or machine. Not published
Not much Punch holes in and fasten paper sheets, signatures, or other material, using hand or machine punches and staplers. Not published
AI + software Design original or special bindings for limited editions or other custom binding projects. Not published
Not much Meet with clients, printers, or designers to discuss job requirements or binding plans. Not published
Not much Repair, restore, or rebind old, rare, or damaged books, using hand tools. Not published
Not much Insert book bodies in devices that form back edges of books into convex shapes and produce grooves that facilitate cover attachment. Not published
Not much Bind new books, using hand tools such as bone folders, knives, hammers, or brass binding tools. Not published
Not much Compress sewed or glued signatures, using hand presses or smashing machines. Not published
Not much Perform highly skilled hand finishing binding operations, such as grooving or lettering. Not published
Not much Imprint or emboss lettering, designs, or numbers on book covers, using gold, silver, or colored foil, and stamping machines. Not published

Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 1 of the 25 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.

Where people already use AI

The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 25 tasks fall under 18 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.

Tasks AI could speed up3 of 25 tasksEloundou et al. ratings (2023)
Its activities among the 50 people ask AI for help with most1 of 18 activities
  • #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
Microsoft Copilot (2024), ranked among all 332 activities. The cut-off of 50 is ours.
Work activity This occupation's tasks under it People asked AI for help
in 10,000 conversations		 AI did it for them
in 10,000 conversations
Operate industrial processing or production equipment 0.13#309 0.02#301
Cut materials 2.75#173 0.50#207
Position workpieces or materials on equipment 0.61#264 0.17#249
Sew garments or materials 0.16#304 0.02#303
Load products, materials, or equipment for transportation or further processing 0.15#308 0.01#322
Read documents or materials to inform work processes 197#8 47#28
Confer with clients to determine needs or order specifications 20#56 107#17
Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance 20#57 4.31#101
Show all 18 activities
Maintain tools or equipment 4.47#136 1.04#167
Inspect completed work or finished products 3.91#150 1.95#130
Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas 3.36#158 1.16#157
Maintain operational records 2.92#170 0.49#209
Repair tools or equipment 1.87#202 0.18#246
Monitor equipment operation 1.87#203 0.26#236
Train others to use equipment or products 1.26#225 20#47
Package objects 0.69#258 0.14#259
Drill holes in earth or materials 0.44#275 0.08#274
Engrave objects 0.30#286 0.02#307
Task: AI alone Task: AI + software Task: not much #: rank among all 332 activities Microsoft measured (#1 = most common; activities that never came up share last place, shown as “tied”)
Where the two sources differ: “Operate industrial processing or production equipment” holds 1 task rated AI + software, yet people asked AI for help with it in 0.13 of every 10,000 conversations, #309 of 332.

How people in this work use Claude

What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations

  • Data or a spreadsheet53%
  • A document or report20%
  • An analysis or summary13%
  • An email or message7%
  • A plan or strategy7%

How they worked with Claude

93% handed the task off7% worked on it together

53% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.

How to read this

Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for print binding and finishing workers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.

The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.

More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude

High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs

BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.

AI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213 growingModerate151 of 206 growingHigh165 of 206 growingVery high141 of 206 growing11 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Click a dot to see that occupation.Print binding and finishing workers: -17.5%Print Binding and Finishing WorkersAI exposure and projected job growth, 831 occupationsLow exposure: 134 of 213 occupations projected to grow. Moderate exposure: 151 of 206 occupations projected to grow. High exposure: 165 of 206 occupations projected to grow. Very high exposure: 141 of 206 occupations projected to grow.-20%-15%-10%-5%0%+5%+10%+15%+20%+25%Low134 of 213Moderate151 of 206High165 of 206Very high141 of 20611 occupations outside −20% to +25% are drawn at the edge. Tap a dot.Print binding and finishing workers: -17.5%Print Binding and Finishing Workers

Career moves into and out of this occupation

From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.

Where people moved next

of 2,843 moves out

  1. 1 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 9%
  2. 2 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 8%
  3. 3 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 8%
  4. 4 First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers High +1.8% 6%
  5. 5 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%

Where people moved in from

of 3,409 moves in

  1. 1 Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand Low +1.8% 11%
  2. 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 5%
  3. 3 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
  4. 4 Maintenance and Repair Workers, General Low +4.2% 4%
  5. 5 Cashiers High -6.5% 3%

Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).

Education and training for the occupation

Education people in it hold

O*NET survey of workers in this occupation

  • 4% less than high school
  • 88% high school
  • 4% postsecondary certificate
  • 1% some college
  • 3% associate's

O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 24 people answered.

Census survey (American Community Survey)

  • 7% less than high school
  • 51% high school
  • 17% some college
  • 10% associate's
  • 13% bachelor's
  • 1% master's
  • 1% professional degree
  • 1% doctorate

Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 122 people surveyed.

Why the two can differ

O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide

Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023

BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.

Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor

These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide

See where your own career could go Start by uploading your resume Browse careers

BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS

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