Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) Revenue Benchmarks
The average commercial printing (except screen and books) business in the United States generates $5.8M in annual revenue, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics of U.S. Businesses (SUSB 2021). There are 14,566 commercial printing (except screen and books) businesses in the U.S., employing 274,807 workers with an average profit margin of 10.0%. The average employee in this industry earns $63K per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW 2023).
What Does a Commercial Printing Business Actually Do?
Printers that produce marketing collateral, packaging, and business documents in commercial volumes — business cards, brochures, catalogs, direct mail, packaging, signage.
Who buys: Businesses of every size, marketing agencies, non-profits, event operators.
Average Revenue
$5.8M
per year
Profit Margin
10.0%
industry average
Revenue / Employee
$306K
per year
Total Businesses
14,566
in the US
Est. Owner Income
$578K
small business avg
Labor Cost
18.0%
of revenue
Avg Employee Wage
$63K
per year (BLS)
Market Saturation
4.4
firms per 100K people
How Much Do Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) Charge?
Commercial printers price per unit (business cards, brochures) or per project.
| Service | Typical range |
|---|---|
Business cards (500) | $40–150 |
Brochures (500, tri-fold) | $200–650 |
Flyers (1,000, 4-color) | $150–450 |
Booklets (100, saddle-stitched) | $300–1,200 |
Wide-format banner (per sqft) | $4–12/sqft |
Custom packaging (bulk) | quoted per project |
Ranges based on industry rate surveys and typical published pricing. Actual quotes vary by city, business size, and job complexity.
Complete commercial printing business plan
A 12-section data-backed business plan for a commercial printing (except screen and books) business — executive summary, market analysis, competitive landscape, revenue model, 3-year financial projections, operations, marketing, staffing, funding request. Pre-populated with real Census, IRS, and BLS data on this industry. Free to view.
Cost Structure — Where Every $100 in Revenue Goes
Approximate P&L breakdown for the commercial printing (except screen and books) industry. Labor share and net profit are grounded in Census SUSB and IRS SOI data. Other lines are split using sector-typical ratios.
| Category | Per $100 revenue | Per typical business | What's in it |
|---|---|---|---|
Raw materials & components | $50 | $2.9M | Steel, chemicals, electronics, packaging — the physical inputs that become the product. |
Wages & benefits | $18 | $1.0M | Payroll for all employees at the business (owner comp not included for small owner-operators). |
Rent & facilities | $6 | $333K | Rent or mortgage on business location plus utilities tied to the space. |
Marketing & advertising | $4 | $208K | Google/Meta ads, SEO, print, referral fees, event sponsorships. |
Other operating costs | $12 | $708K | Depreciation on equipment, energy, R&D, quality control, freight. |
Net profit | $10 | $578K | What remains for the owner or shareholders after all business expenses. |
Directionally accurate for a typical business in the industry. Individual businesses vary widely — a franchise may run a very different cost mix from an independent, and older established businesses often have lower labor share than newer ones.
Average Revenue by Business Size
Industry Dynamics (Census BDS 2023)
New Business Rate
6.33%
openings/year
Closure Rate
7.83%
closings/year
Net Job Growth
-0.63%
annual
Businesses Closed
1,423
in 2023
Firm Count Trend
Should You Start a Commercial Printing Business?
Startup Cost
$50K – $250K
Break-Even
3 months
5-Year Survival Rate
50.0%
Related Industries
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does a commercial printing (except screen and books) business do?
- Printers that produce marketing collateral, packaging, and business documents in commercial volumes — business cards, brochures, catalogs, direct mail, packaging, signage. Businesses of every size, marketing agencies, non-profits, event operators.
- How much do commercial printing (except screen and books) charge?
- Commercial printers price per unit (business cards, brochures) or per project. See the pricing table above for typical rates by service type.
- How much does the average commercial printing (except screen and books) make per year?
- The average commercial printing (except screen and books) business generates $5.8M in annual revenue, based on U.S. Census Bureau data (SUSB 2021). After expenses, the estimated owner profit is $578K per year at a 10.0% profit margin.
- How many commercial printing (except screen and books) businesses are there in the US?
- There are 14,566 commercial printing (except screen and books) businesses operating in the United States, employing a total of 274,807 workers.
- How much does it cost to start a commercial printing (except screen and books) business?
- Startup costs for a commercial printing (except screen and books) business typically range from $50K to $250K, with a 5-year survival rate of 50.0%.
- What is the average salary in the commercial printing (except screen and books) industry?
- The average employee in the commercial printing (except screen and books) industry earns $63K per year, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data (QCEW 2023).
Industry Growth & Survival
The commercial printing (except screen and books) industry is relatively stable — with a net job growth rate of -0.6%. Entry and exit rates are balanced at 6.3% and 7.8% respectively.
Approximately 67% of commercial printing (except screen and books) businesses survive their first 5 years. This is above the national average (~50%), making it a relatively safe industry to enter. In 2023, 1,423 firms in this industry closed permanently.
Employment & Wages
The average employee in the commercial printing (except screen and books) industry earns $62,979/year. This is near the national average of ~$65K. With 18,645 establishments employing 261,525 people, the typical business has about 14 employees.
Industry Trend (2000–2023)
The commercial printing (except screen and books) industry has declined 44% since 2000 (from 35,163 to 19,572 firms).
See full historical statistics →Compare Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) revenue with other industries: