Typists and Word Processors
Overview
Introduction
Using typewriters, personal computers, and other office machines, typists and word processors convert handwritten or otherwise unfinished material into clean, readable, typewritten copies. Typists create reports, letters, forms, tables, charts, and other materials for all kinds of businesses and services. Word processors create the same types of materials using a computer that stores information electronically instead of printing it directly onto paper. Other typists use special machines that convert manuscripts into Braill...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that median annual earnings of word processors and typists were $40,340 in May 2019. Salaries ranged from less than $27,850 to more than $58,860. Word processors and typists employed by legal services made the highest mean annual salaries: $52,990. Other top-paying employers were scientific research and development services, $52,580, and computer systems des...
Work Environment
Typists and word processors usually work 35 to 40 hours per week at workstations in clean, bright offices. They usually sit most of the day in a fairly small area. The work is detailed and often repetitious, and approaching deadlines may increase the pressure and demands placed on typists and word processors.
Recent years have seen a controversy develop concerning the effect that working...
Outlook
The employment outlook is not bright for word processors and typists. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts a steep decline in employment (36 percent) in this field through 2029. A major cause of the drop in employment is the growth of automation of offices and increased outsourcing of word-processing jobs. In addition, the economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 has result...