Data Entry Keyers
Median $41,340
Occupation · SOC 43-9031
Desktop Publishers: pay and where the jobs are
What desktop publishers earn in the U.S., how pay varies across workers and states, and tools to plan around it.
National pay, May 2025
$55,290 median annual wage
- Mean (average) annual wage
- $61,970
- Median hourly wage
- $26.58
- Mean hourly wage
- $29.79
- Employment
- 3,350
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 43-9031.
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How much do desktop publishers make?
The median annual wage for desktop publishers was $55,290 in May 2025, so half of workers earned more and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $35,680 and the highest-paid 10% more than $96,170. As an hourly rate, the median is $26.58. About 3,350 people work in this occupation nationwide. The highest state medians are in Colorado ($77,750), California ($71,930) and Maryland ($69,820). Colorado also comes out on top after taxes and local prices.
Pay ladder
What each step of the pay range for desktop publishers looks like per month. Take-home here includes federal tax, Social Security and Medicare for a single filer; add your state in the paycheck calculator.
| Step | Annual | Hourly | Monthly gross | Monthly after federal tax & FICA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $35,680 | $17.16 | $2,973 | $2,571 |
| 25th percentile | $43,730 | $21.02 | $3,644 | $3,110 |
| Median | $55,290 | $26.58 | $4,608 | $3,884 |
| 75th percentile | $73,840 | $35.50 | $6,153 | $5,065 |
| 90th percentile | $96,170 | $46.23 | $8,014 | $6,374 |
Desktop Publishers: pay by state
27 states and territories have a published median, sorted from highest to lowest. The last two columns are our estimates: the median after 2026 federal and state taxes, and that take-home restated in national-average prices.
1
$58,681 take-home in national prices
2
$53,801 take-home in national prices
3
$52,399 take-home in national prices
Where a median desktop publisher paycheck goes furthest after 2026 taxes and BEA price levels.
| State | Employment | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Median after tax* | In national prices† |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | Not published | $77,750 | $39,990 | $114,730 | $60,472 | $58,681 |
| California | 320 | $71,930 | $42,080 | $115,410 | $55,969 | $50,550 |
| Maryland | 140 | $69,820 | $45,090 | $89,750 | $54,998 | $52,399 |
| New Jersey | 100 | $63,020 | $49,760 | $99,470 | $50,427 | $46,347 |
| South Carolina | 40 | $62,320 | $49,890 | $94,500 | $50,438 | $53,801 |
| Illinois | 150 | $61,350 | $44,480 | $79,620 | $48,583 | $48,603 |
| Massachusetts | 80 | $61,170 | $46,320 | $90,020 | $48,210 | $45,586 |
| Texas | 270 | $57,760 | $33,480 | $72,180 | $48,590 | $50,064 |
| New York | 350 | $56,660 | $34,320 | $108,860 | $44,968 | $41,667 |
| Minnesota | 90 | $54,930 | $46,910 | $80,590 | $43,863 | $44,476 |
| Vermont | 50 | $53,550 | $30,020 | $63,330 | $43,847 | $44,761 |
| Ohio | 60 | $53,380 | $47,710 | $69,000 | $44,046 | $47,477 |
| Florida | 150 | $52,720 | $42,220 | $73,890 | $44,541 | $43,070 |
| Arizona | 30 | $52,000 | $44,440 | $84,250 | $43,056 | $42,766 |
| Oregon | 90 | $50,650 | $38,200 | $85,170 | $39,319 | $38,041 |
| Indiana | 130 | $49,070 | $36,300 | $59,750 | $40,190 | $43,062 |
| New Hampshire | 30 | $48,300 | $48,300 | $65,910 | $40,989 | $39,350 |
| Louisiana | 40 | $47,130 | $21,960 | $84,430 | $39,021 | $44,238 |
| Maine | 30 | $47,100 | $30,470 | $63,150 | $38,276 | $39,439 |
| Oklahoma | 40 | $46,040 | $35,930 | $71,350 | $37,647 | $42,857 |
| Wisconsin | 40 | $46,010 | $25,310 | $60,120 | $37,769 | $40,139 |
| Kentucky | 40 | $45,760 | $19,200 | $58,510 | $37,464 | $41,553 |
| Michigan | 40 | $45,300 | $41,000 | $63,400 | $36,904 | $38,355 |
| Tennessee | 40 | $44,440 | $27,080 | $112,240 | $37,888 | $41,240 |
| North Carolina | 80 | $43,700 | $38,130 | $84,630 | $36,058 | $38,227 |
| Georgia | 230 | $39,460 | $34,970 | $112,350 | $32,666 | $33,923 |
| Nebraska | 40 | $36,280 | $34,000 | $50,470 | $30,560 | $33,917 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 (released 2026-05-15), SOC 43-9031. *Our estimate for a single filer paid biweekly with no pre-tax deductions or local tax, 2026 federal and state rules. †Take-home ÷ BEA Regional Price Parity × 100 (2024 price levels).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25nat.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.
- OEWS May 2025 (oesm25st.zip) — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Accessed 2026-10-09.