jobfacts

Print finishing and binding workers

SOC 2020 5423

Print finishing and binding workers bind books and other publications and finish printed items by hand or machine.

Also calledFinisherLeather binderMachinistCutterBook finisherGold finisherand 128 more titles
Typical full-time pay£27,3002025 Provisional
Demand for workersNot high
New adverts a month247↑ 21%on last year · 327th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025
What full-time print finishing and binding workers earn, 2025
£27,300 typicaln/ptop 10%
n/p: top 10% not published by ONS
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less thanNot published
Lowest 20% earn less thanNot published
25%Not published
Median£27,300
75%Not published
Top 20% earn more thanNot published
Top 10% earn more thanNot published
Typical pay by regionUK median £27,300
Yorkshire and The Humber!£25,800
East Midlands!£25,700
North West!£24,700
East of England!£24,700
North EastNot published by ONS–
West MidlandsNot published by ONS–
LondonNot published by ONS–
South EastNot published by ONS–
South WestNot published by ONS–
ScotlandNot published by ONS–
WalesNot published by ONS–
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £27,300
Yorkshire and The Humber£25,800 (small sample)
East Midlands£25,700 (small sample)
North West£24,700 (small sample)
East of England£24,700 (small sample)
North EastNot published by ONS
West MidlandsNot published by ONS
LondonNot published by ONS
South EastNot published by ONS
South WestNot published by ONS
ScotlandNot published by ONS
WalesNot published by ONS
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £25,700
  • 2024 £25,600
  • 2025 Provisional£27,300
↑ 6.2% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 247 jobs for print finishing and binding workers are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as not high.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (1 in all)
Show as table
Aug 2026240
Jul 2026184
Jun 2026255
May 2026213
Apr 2026166
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 2026182
Jan 2026236
Dec 2025195
Nov 2025440
Oct 2025331
Sept 2025278
Aug 2025198
Jul 2025215
Jun 2025275
May 2025268
Apr 2025201
Mar 2025212
Feb 2025225
Jan 2025173
Dec 2024137
Nov 2024193
Oct 2024160
Sept 2024204
Aug 2024226
Jul 2024250
Jun 2024219
May 2024244
Apr 2024259
Mar 2024228
Feb 2024187
Jan 2024272
Dec 2023187
Nov 2023233
Oct 2023198
Sept 2023200
Aug 2023245
Jul 2023285
Jun 2023295
May 2023284
Apr 2023256
Mar 2023403
Feb 2023332
Jan 2023379
Dec 2022288
Nov 2022375
Oct 2022382
Sept 2022327
Aug 2022360
Jul 2022406
Jun 2022369
May 2022430
Apr 2022328
Mar 2022373
Feb 2022371
Jan 2022366
Dec 2021307
Nov 2021311
Oct 2021344
Sept 2021315
Aug 2021294
Jul 2021341
Jun 2021271
May 2021720
Apr 2021253
Mar 2021330
Feb 2021250
Jan 2021224
Dec 2020159
Nov 2020218
Oct 2020226
Sept 2020201
Aug 2020180
Jul 2020206
Jun 2020164
May 2020178
Apr 2020218
Mar 2020331
Feb 2020500
Jan 2020431
Dec 2019267
Nov 2019371
Oct 2019348
Sept 2019346
Aug 2019382
Jul 2019465
Jun 2019509
May 2019477
Apr 2019385
Mar 2019391
Feb 2019403
Jan 2019431
Dec 2018227
Nov 2018461
Oct 2018410
Sept 2018420
Aug 2018442
Jul 2018373
Jun 2018415
May 2018383
Apr 2018418
Mar 2018483
Feb 2018472
Jan 2018406
Dec 2017296
Nov 2017397
Oct 2017457
Sept 2017382
Aug 2017434
Jul 2017363
Jun 2017391
May 2017415
Apr 2017410
Mar 2017436
Feb 2017408
Jan 2017523
Is there a shortage of print finishing and binding workers?
Not high

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedUsual
  • Online job advertsUsual
  • Wage growthUsual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedAbove usual
Note: uncertainty in change in hourly wage.
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
50%against 27% for all jobs
Broader groupFigure for textiles, printing and other skilled trades, which includes print finishing and binding workers. DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London178
Manchester30
Glasgow City20
Fife16
Birmingham15
Bristol, City of15
City of Edinburgh13
Leeds13
Nottingham12
Buckinghamshire11
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where print finishing and binding workers are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. Fewer than 10 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of print finishing and binding workers
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p
n/p: too few in the survey to publish
Show as table
16–24Not published
25–34Not published
35–44Not published
45–54Not published
55–64Not published
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent!51%
A levels or equivalent!49%
GCSEs or equivalent!45%
Other qualifications–
Not published
No qualifications!35%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent51% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent49% (small sample)
GCSEs or equivalent45% (small sample)
Other qualificationsNot published
No qualifications35% (small sample)

Main employers: other printing (58%), binding and related services (47%), photographic activities (42%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
51%
as their highest qualification
Apprenticeships
1
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
2 years
typically

Apprenticeships

1 for this job

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • folds, collates and sews printed sheets by hand or machine
  • compresses sewn book in nipping machine to expel air and reduce swelling caused by sewing
  • trims head, tail and fore-edge of book and gilds and marbles page edges as necessary
  • cuts board and cloth for book cover and spine
  • embosses lettering or decoration on cover by hand or machine
  • repairs worn book bindings
  • sets up and supervises automatic binding and finishing machine.

Skills

  • oversee quality control
  • adjust properties of cut
  • lift stacks of paper
  • monitor automated machines
  • operate paper folding machine
  • perform test run
  • stitch paper materials
  • supply machine
  • troubleshoot
  • keep records of work progress
  • monitor conveyor belt
  • pack goods
  • perform machine maintenance
  • prevent paper jams

Knowledge

  • quality standards
  • types of paper
  • printed goods processes
  • adhesives

Suits people who like

  • Organising and following procedures
  • Practical, hands-on work

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for textiles, printing and other skilled trades, a group of 17 jobs that includes print finishing and binding workers.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035→ 0%about 0 more jobs
Workers needed by 2035276,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.