Word Processors and Typists
Business, Management and AdministrationO*NET 43-9022.00United States
Use word processor, computer, or typewriter to type letters, reports, forms, or other material from rough draft, corrected copy, or voice recording. May perform other clerical duties as assigned.
- Median annual earnings
- $47,017
- Projected change
- −28.2%
- Typical education
- High school diploma or less
- Employment
- 45.92K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
51.6% of the workforce
Growing to 32.96K by 2035
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These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What word processors and typists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Perform other clerical duties, such as answering telephone, sorting and distributing mail, running errands or sending faxes.
- Check completed work for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format.
- File and store completed documents on computer hard drive or disk, or maintain a computer filing system to store, retrieve, update, and delete documents.
- Print and make copies of work.
- Transmit work electronically to other locations.
- Address envelopes or prepare envelope labels, using typewriter or computer.
- Gather, register, and arrange the material to be typed, following instructions.
- Type correspondence, reports, text and other written material from rough drafts, corrected copies, voice recordings, dictation, or previous versions, using a computer, word processor, or typewriter.
- Compute and verify totals on report forms, requisitions, or bills, using adding machine or calculator.
- Keep records of work performed.
- Electronically sort and compile text and numerical data, retrieving, updating, and merging documents as required.
- Search for specific sets of stored, typed characters to make changes.
- Collate pages of reports and other documents.
- Reformat documents, moving paragraphs or columns.
- Adjust settings for format, page layout, line spacing, and other style requirements.
- Use data entry devices, such as optical scanners, to input data into computers for revision or editing.
- Operate and resupply printers and computers, changing print wheels or fluid cartridges, adding paper, and loading blank tapes, cards, or disks into equipment.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $34,106
- 25th percentile
- $38,595
- 50th percentile
- $47,017
- 75th percentile
- $56,328
- 90th percentile
- $66,186
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $47,017 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
−28.2%projected to decline
202545,923 jobs
2035 projected32,957 jobs
12,966 fewer positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- High school diploma or less
- 51.6%
- Some college
- 45.5%
- Associate degree
- 3%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Clerk Typists528 postings
- 02Typing Office Technicians237 postings
- 03Field Officers187 postings
- 04Typists175 postings
- 05Office Clerks157 postings
- 06Office Technicians152 postings
- 07Office Assistants134 postings
- 08Clerical Assistants88 postings
- 09Cleaning Technicians81 postings
- 10Account Clerk Typists78 postings
- 11Clerks68 postings
- 12Security Patrol Officers64 postings
- 13Office Associates63 postings
- 14Customer Service Technicians55 postings
- 15Central Office Technicians50 postings
- 16Permit Technicians44 postings
- 17Summer School Teachers37 postings
- 18IT Technicians36 postings
- 19Records Technicians27 postings
- 20School Office Managers27 postings
Top employers
- 01Allied Universal252 postings
- 02Accenture208 postings
- 03Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania172 postings
- 04Edjoin.Org157 postings
- 05State of California135 postings
- 06Wayne-Finger Lakes Boces99 postings
- 07Brevard Public Schools34 postings
- 08Kenmore-town Of Tonawanda Ufsd Admin BLDG22 postings
- 09California State Personnel Board21 postings
- 10Georgia Department Of Corrections21 postings
- 11City Of Tulsa18 postings
- 12Commonwealth Of Virginia18 postings
- 13San Juan Unified School District18 postings
- 14State of South Carolina18 postings
- 15Erie 1 BOCES17 postings
- 16Robert Half15 postings
- 17Shenendehowa Central School District15 postings
- 18J & J Staffing Resources14 postings
- 19Guilford County Schools13 postings
- 20State of Michigan11 postings
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