Word Processors and Typists
Also called: Clerk Typist, Keyboard Specialist, Typist, Word ProcessorUse 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.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 15 of its 19 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 34.4% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 1.8% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 47% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $46,860 | $33,650 to $54,770 | 70 |
| Arizona | $42,070 | $37,360 to $63,980 | not published |
| Arkansas | $43,010 | $38,950 to $45,700 | 40 |
| California | $56,380 | $48,710 to $57,670 | 10,270 |
| Colorado | $57,550 | $41,410 to $63,630 | 60 |
| Connecticut | $49,250 | $44,510 to $59,180 | 170 |
| Delaware | $45,480 | $41,070 to $57,760 | 50 |
| District of Columbia | $49,180 | $49,180 to $59,970 | 120 |
| Florida | $35,770 | $29,070 to $45,560 | 1,000 |
| Georgia | $31,450 | $29,280 to $39,260 | not published |
| Hawaii | $40,060 | $40,060 to $52,150 | 270 |
| Idaho | $49,930 | $46,060 to $52,470 | 60 |
| Illinois | $45,490 | $40,070 to $57,100 | 490 |
| Indiana | $39,520 | $37,300 to $45,700 | 120 |
| Iowa | $43,210 | $37,180 to $47,040 | 360 |
| Kentucky | not published | not published | 160 |
| Maryland | $47,110 | $44,540 to $58,740 | 210 |
| Massachusetts | $53,740 | $49,260 to $59,110 | 350 |
| Michigan | $47,970 | $39,960 to $58,180 | 520 |
| Minnesota | $51,550 | $51,550 to $60,860 | 210 |
| Missouri | $37,440 | $37,440 to $45,990 | 260 |
| Nebraska | $47,080 | $40,190 to $49,230 | 80 |
| Nevada | $41,290 | $40,700 to $51,910 | 170 |
| New Jersey | $49,520 | $41,170 to $60,920 | 3,560 |
| New Mexico | $46,400 | $41,660 to $49,920 | 60 |
| New York | $48,400 | $42,180 to $58,790 | 12,340 |
| Ohio | $48,670 | $35,140 to $55,660 | 310 |
| Oklahoma | $43,710 | $39,860 to $48,380 | 40 |
| Oregon | $52,420 | $44,890 to $61,010 | 40 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,000 | $37,150 to $49,440 | 1,170 |
| Puerto Rico | $32,270 | $24,460 to $41,510 | 1,700 |
| Rhode Island | $47,040 | $46,930 to $55,560 | 120 |
| South Carolina | $42,840 | $39,150 to $48,380 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $49,750 | $42,080 to $57,880 | 90 |
| Texas | $47,720 | $37,000 to $52,920 | 290 |
| Virginia | $46,130 | $37,920 to $53,190 | 290 |
| Washington | $46,110 | $40,850 to $63,830 | 140 |
| West Virginia | $36,060 | $35,660 to $36,870 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $48,540 | $40,150 to $53,710 | 180 |
Nationally: $49,280. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 15 of its 19 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | File and store completed documents on computer hard drive or disk, or maintain a computer filing system to store, retrieve, update, and delete documents. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | Transmit work electronically to other locations. | under 0.01% |
| AI alone | Perform other clerical duties, such as answering telephone, sorting and distributing mail, running errands or sending faxes. | Not published |
| AI + software | Check completed work for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format. | 0.08% |
| Not much | Print and make copies of work. | Not published |
| AI + software | Search for specific sets of stored, typed characters to make changes. | 0.01% |
See all 19 tasks
| AI + software | Adjust settings for format, page layout, line spacing, and other style requirements. | 0.46% |
| AI + software | Electronically sort and compile text and numerical data, retrieving, updating, and merging documents as required. | 0.35% |
| AI alone | Type correspondence, reports, text and other written material from rough drafts, corrected copies, voice recordings, dictation, or previous versions, using a computer, word processor, or typewriter. | 0.01% |
| AI + software | Use data entry devices, such as optical scanners, to input data into computers for revision or editing. | Not published |
| AI + software | Gather, register, and arrange the material to be typed, following instructions. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Keep records of work performed. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Collate pages of reports and other documents. | Not published |
| AI + software | Reformat documents, moving paragraphs or columns. | 0.15% |
| AI + software | Manage schedules and set dates, times, and locations for meetings and appointments. | 0.01% |
| AI alone | Address envelopes or prepare envelope labels, using typewriter or computer. | Not published |
| Not much | Operate and resupply printers and computers, changing print wheels or fluid cartridges, adding paper, and loading blank tapes, cards, or disks into equipment. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compute and verify totals on report forms, requisitions, or bills, using adding machine or calculator. | 0.02% |
| AI alone | Work with technical material, preparing statistical reports, planning and typing statistical tables, and combining and rearranging material from different sources. | 0.06% |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 13 of the 19 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 19 tasks fall under 17 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #1 Gather information from physical or electronic sources
- #11 Provide information to guests, clients, or customers
- #13 Operate computer systems or computerized equipment
- and 5 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Process digital or online data | |||
| Perform administrative or clerical activities | |||
| Operate office equipment | |||
| Gather information from physical or electronic sources | |||
| Provide information to guests, clients, or customers | |||
| Operate computer systems or computerized equipment | |||
| Present research or technical information |
Show all 17 activities
| Calculate financial data | |||
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Examine materials or documentation for accuracy or compliance | |||
| Schedule appointments | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Distribute materials, supplies, or resources | |||
| Stock supplies or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- A document or report41%
- Data or a spreadsheet20%
- A presentation or slides6%
- A resume or job application6%
- A script or snippet3%
How they worked with Claude
58% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for word processors and typists specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 19,911 moves out
- 1 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 10%
- 2 Education Administrators, Postsecondary High +1.8% 5%
- 3 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 4%
- 4 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 4%
- 5 Financial Managers Very high +9.7% 4%
Where people moved in from
of 19,851 moves in
- 1 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 10%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 6%
- 3 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 5%
- 4 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 4%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 3%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 2% less than high school
- 26% high school
- 27% some college
- 17% associate's
- 21% bachelor's
- 6% master's
- 1% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 321 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
2 programs: Word Processing and General Office Occupations and Clerical Services.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
10.2% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | <0.5% | 19.1% |
| an educational certificate | <0.5% | 2.8% |
| a certification | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 2 registered apprenticeships in this occupation (Information Management (Word Processing); TELEGRAPHIC-TYPEWRITER OPER). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Word Processors and Typists” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/43-9022.00