How to become a Word Processor or Typist

Official title: Word Processors and Typists

Also called: Clerk Specialist, Clerk Typist, Keyboard Specialist, Stenographer, Typist, Word Processing Operator, Word Processing Specialist, Word Processor

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.

Main tasks

• File and store completed documents on computer hard drive or disk, or maintain a computer filing system to store, retrieve, update, and delete documents.
• Transmit work electronically to other locations.
• Perform other clerical duties, such as answering telephone, sorting and distributing mail, running errands or sending faxes.
• Electronically sort and compile text and numerical data, retrieving, updating, and merging documents as required.
• Check completed work for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format.
• Print and make copies of work.
• Search for specific sets of stored, typed characters to make changes.
• Address envelopes or prepare envelope labels, using typewriter or computer.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Information Management (Word Processing).
• Apprenticeship: Telegraphic-Typewriter Oper.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $49,280 a year The middle half earn $40,800 to $57,670.
• About 40,400 people work in this job now, and about 26,500 are projected by 2035. (-34.4%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Related jobs

• Data Entry Keyers
• Desktop Publishers
• Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
• Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
• Office Clerks, General
• Office Machine Operators, Except Computer

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Word Processor or Typist?

Ways in include: Information Management (Word Processing).

How much does a Word Processor or Typist earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $49,280 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $40,800 to $57,670.

Is a Word Processor or Typist a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 34% by 2035, from about 40,400 to about 26,500 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Word Processor or Typist?

Not always. 26% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Information Management (Word Processing).

Will AI change the work of a Word Processor or Typist?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

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.