BOOKBINDER

Gouey has found that bookbinders are paid for the work they produce on a variety of scales. For instance, university or bindery departments usually offer about $22,000 as a yearly salary. A bindery supervisor can make around $50,000 per year. “Salaries for bench work in private binderies are less at the start, but can develop into a better and different salary scale. This is especially true if the employee is gifted,” says Gouey. Benchwork is focused on the physical aspects of binding, including disbinding, repairing, assembling, sewing, and covering. It had been done by old time journeymen.

A bookbinder in private practice is compensated in direct proportion to his or her skills. Binding prices vary between $100 and several thousand dollars per unit. Binders who command several thousand dollars for individual pieces are rare and are usually masters of their craft.