Other Office and Administrative Support Workers

How to become an Office Machine Operator

Official title: Office Machine Operators, Except Computer

Also called: Copy Center Operator, Copy Machine Operator, Copy Technician, Graphics Production Specialist, Key Operator, Machine Operator, Printing Services Coordinator, Reprographics Technician

Operate one or more of a variety of office machines, such as photocopying, photographic, and duplicating machines, or other office machines.

Main tasks

Read job orders to determine the type of work to be done, the quantities to be produced, and the materials needed.
Deliver completed work.
Place original copies in feed trays, feed originals into feed rolls, or position originals on tables beneath camera lenses.
Sort, assemble, and proof completed work.
Operate office machines such as high speed business photocopiers, readers, scanners, addressing machines, stencil-cutting machines, microfilm readers or printers, folding and inserting machines, bursters, and binder machines.
Complete records of production, including work volumes and outputs, materials used, and any backlogs.
Compute prices for services and receive payment, or provide supervisors with billing information.
Set up and adjust machines, regulating factors such as speed, ink flow, focus, and number of copies.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $40,960 a year The middle half earn $36,090 to $47,910.
About 25,800 people work in this job now, and about 21,900 are projected by 2035. (-14.9%)
People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Questions people ask

How much does an Office Machine Operator earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $40,960 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $36,090 to $47,910.

Is an Office Machine Operator a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 15% by 2035, from about 25,800 to about 21,900 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become an Office Machine Operator?

Usually not. Only 17% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of an Office Machine Operator?

People already use generative AI for some of this work. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as medium.

Sources

Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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.