Annual Salary
£18,000 to £30,000
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Design or Fashion & textiles or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Design or Fashion & textiles or go back to all job sectors
Bookbinders turn printed paper into books and catalogues by hand or using machines.
Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends; on shifts
There will be
4.8% fewer Bookbinder jobs in 2027.
You could:
If you're a craft or hand bookbinder, you might:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work in a factory or in a workshop.
Your working environment may be dusty and noisy.
You can get into this job through:
You could do a foundation degree or degree in:
You'll need to check that the course covers methods used in bookbinding.
You'll usually need:
You can do a bookbinder or print operative intermediate apprenticeship or a print technician advanced apprenticeship.
You'll usually need:
You could start out as a print room or reprographics assistant and work your way up through experience and taking courses.
You could apply directly to become a bookbinder. Employers will expect you to have some printing experience.
You may find it useful to have GCSEs or equivalent at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C).
You could take short specialist courses in craft binding and finishing. You can take these courses with organisations like the Society of Bookbinders.
You can find out more about working in bookbinding and printing from the British Printing Industries Federation and the Heritage Crafts Association.
You can also find out more about working in creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.
With experience, you could become a supervisor or work for a specialist print finishing company.
You could also move into other jobs like printing or sales.
As a craft bookbinder, you could improve your job opportunities by joining the Society of Bookbinders or Designer Bookbinders.
You'll need: