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Career

Word Processors and Typists

Typical education: High school diplomaModerate pressure

What they do

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.

Kinds of work

  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

Moderate pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $49,280 Median per year · $23.69/hr Most earn $36,810–$65,150

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Operate and resupply printers and computers, changing print wheels or fluid cartridges, adding paper, and loading blank tapes, cards, or disks into equipment.
  • Operate and resupply printers and computers, changing print wheels or fluid cartridges, adding paper, and loading blank tapes, cards, or disks into equipment.
  • Perform other clerical duties, such as answering telephone, sorting and distributing mail, running errands or sending faxes.
  • Work with technical material, preparing statistical reports, planning and typing statistical tables, and combining and rearranging material from different sources.
  • Use data entry devices, such as optical scanners, to input data into computers for revision or editing.
  • Compute and verify totals on report forms, requisitions, or bills, using adding machine or calculator.

Job outlook

United States
34% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 1,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Local government, excluding education and hospitals32.0%
  • Elementary and secondary schools27.3%
  • Self-employed (their own business)10.9%
  • State government, excluding education and hospitals5.9%
  • Federal government, excluding postal service3.1%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This is an entry-level job. A high school diploma is the usual education, and people often spend about 1 to 2 years in related clerical work first to build speed, accuracy, and office skills.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Build strong typing, computer, and writing skills in high school, since these are the core skills employers look for in this work.

  2. Data Entry Keyer

    1-2 years

    Entering information accurately and quickly into computer systems builds the keyboarding speed and attention to detail that word processing work requires.

  3. Word Processor and Typist

    Ongoing

    You type letters, reports, and forms from drafts, corrected copy, or voice recordings, and handle other office tasks as they come up.

Where it can lead

  1. Proofreader

    1-2 years of experience first

    You move from typing text to checking it for errors in spelling, grammar, and formatting, which usually requires an associate degree or similar training.

  2. Document Management Specialist

    2-4 years of experience first

    You take charge of how an organization creates, stores, and tracks its documents, which usually calls for a bachelor's degree and more experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take keyboarding and computer classesRegular practice in these classes builds the typing speed and comfort with computers that this job depends on.
  • Take English and writing classesGood grammar, spelling, and punctuation help you turn drafts and recordings into clean, correct documents.
  • Join a business or computer club at schoolClub activities give you practice with teamwork, presentations, and real office-style tasks.
  • Look for a part-time or summer job in an office or storeAny job that involves records, forms, or computers gives you early experience with clerical work.
  • Volunteer for a school office, library, or nonprofitHelping with typing, filing, or data tasks shows initiative and builds experience you can list on a resume.

In college

  • Take office software and document formatting coursesSkills in word processing and document layout are what employers look for in this job.
  • Consider a certificate in office administration or word processingIf your college offers one, a short certificate can show employers you have formal training in these skills.
  • Get a campus job in an office or departmentWork-study or student jobs that involve typing, forms, or records build the experience employers ask for.
  • Practice accuracy and speed with timed typingRegular timed practice helps you type quickly without sacrificing the error-free work that employers value.
  • Learn terminology for a field you are interested inKnowing legal, medical, or business terms can make you a stronger candidate for specialized typing and transcription work.

Tips for getting started

  • Practice typing every day, and focus on accuracy first. Employers often care as much about error-free work as they do about speed.
  • Learn the common office programs, such as word processors, spreadsheets, and email tools, since most typing jobs now use them.
  • Get any office or clerical experience you can, even part-time or volunteer, and list it on your resume. It counts toward the experience many employers ask for.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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