Word Processors and Typists

Median salary

$49,280

Average salary

$51,120

Employment

35,010

Projected growth

36.1% decline

Annual openings

2,200

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Word Processors and Typists 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.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 7.5%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Administrativeimportance 4.8/5
English Languageimportance 4.3/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 4.2/5
Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.5/5
Law and Governmentimportance 2.6/5
Administration and Managementimportance 2.4/5
Mathematicsimportance 2.2/5
Communications and Mediaimportance 2.1/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Telephone Conversations5.0/5
Spend Time Sitting4.9/5
E-Mail4.9/5
Contact With Others4.7/5
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.7/5
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks4.6/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Pharmacy Aides92% skill match
File Clerks91% skill match
Legal Secretaries and Administrative Assistants91% skill match
Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive90% skill match
News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists90% skill match
Food Servers, Nonrestaurant90% skill match
Pharmacy Technicians90% skill match
Gambling Cage Workers90% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Service Orientationimportance 2.9/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.6/5
Coordinationimportance 2.6/5
Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 2.5/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 2.4/5
Systems Analysisimportance 2.3/5
Persuasionimportance 2.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Act!
Blackbaud CRM
Corel WordPerfect Office Suite
FileMaker Pro
IBM Notes
Microsoft Publisher
Oracle Siebel CRM
SRSsoft SRS EHR

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Integrity
Cautiousness
Cooperation
Achievement Orientation
Self-Control

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

ConventionalHigh
RealisticLow
ArtisticLow
SocialLow
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where word processors and typists make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).