Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
Also called: Copy Center Operator, Copy Machine Operator, Key Operator, Machine OperatorOperate one or more of a variety of office machines, such as photocopying, photographic, and duplicating machines, or other office machines.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 6 of its 18 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 14.9% by 2035. 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, 6.3% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 39% 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.7.9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $56,010 | $28,760 to $69,300 | 70 |
| Arizona | $32,060 | $31,970 to $39,790 | 650 |
| Arkansas | $36,520 | $32,930 to $38,550 | 190 |
| California | $47,150 | $41,190 to $57,250 | 2,320 |
| Colorado | $46,860 | $41,690 to $55,650 | 250 |
| Connecticut | $37,790 | $34,210 to $49,530 | not published |
| Delaware | $39,200 | $37,270 to $43,960 | 110 |
| District of Columbia | $41,460 | $40,980 to $53,670 | 170 |
| Florida | $38,330 | $35,910 to $45,140 | 560 |
| Georgia | $36,730 | $34,430 to $45,570 | 1,020 |
| Hawaii | $38,170 | $36,630 to $45,410 | 130 |
| Illinois | $44,360 | $39,500 to $47,930 | 1,150 |
| Indiana | $37,860 | $34,510 to $45,070 | 600 |
| Iowa | $41,330 | $34,910 to $48,540 | 250 |
| Kansas | $39,050 | $34,910 to $42,510 | 310 |
| Kentucky | $38,640 | $34,500 to $48,060 | 200 |
| Louisiana | $36,960 | $27,040 to $49,090 | 70 |
| Maine | $45,240 | $40,230 to $52,560 | 60 |
| Maryland | $35,670 | $34,380 to $47,130 | 580 |
| Massachusetts | $47,470 | $43,200 to $55,570 | not published |
| Michigan | $36,880 | $32,660 to $45,170 | 370 |
| Minnesota | $45,890 | $38,560 to $51,420 | 630 |
| Mississippi | $34,640 | $34,020 to $39,390 | 90 |
| Missouri | $37,760 | $35,460 to $45,990 | 880 |
| Montana | $44,260 | $31,070 to $48,080 | 120 |
| Nebraska | $38,820 | $37,110 to $41,150 | 100 |
| Nevada | $45,330 | $40,410 to $50,420 | 70 |
| New Hampshire | $32,590 | $31,030 to $36,240 | 230 |
| New Jersey | $39,360 | $36,400 to $45,760 | 1,570 |
| New Mexico | $35,140 | $30,220 to $45,020 | 160 |
| New York | $45,740 | $38,650 to $48,870 | 3,780 |
| North Carolina | $44,480 | $37,630 to $46,450 | 930 |
| Ohio | $38,380 | $31,320 to $46,010 | 750 |
| Oklahoma | $34,810 | $31,200 to $39,240 | 290 |
| Oregon | $42,910 | $40,290 to $49,250 | 370 |
| Pennsylvania | $36,720 | $30,420 to $43,680 | 1,230 |
| Puerto Rico | $24,480 | $21,960 to $35,580 | 70 |
| Rhode Island | $45,560 | $36,270 to $59,570 | 70 |
| South Carolina | $33,870 | $21,350 to $39,490 | 190 |
| Tennessee | $40,740 | $34,630 to $47,670 | 230 |
| Texas | $37,060 | $29,780 to $45,140 | 1,550 |
| Utah | $36,360 | $28,890 to $48,400 | 240 |
| Vermont | $48,380 | $40,220 to $53,540 | 60 |
| Virginia | $41,920 | $34,980 to $49,050 | 530 |
| Washington | $46,290 | $42,860 to $54,180 | 340 |
| West Virginia | $43,140 | $39,210 to $48,480 | 80 |
| Wisconsin | $39,890 | $38,690 to $53,130 | 550 |
| Wyoming | $37,470 | $33,060 to $49,460 | 90 |
Nationally: $40,960. 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 6 of its 18 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Not much | Sort, assemble, and proof completed work. | under 0.01% |
| Not much | 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. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read job orders to determine the type of work to be done, the quantities to be produced, and the materials needed. | Not published |
| Not much | Set up and adjust machines, regulating factors such as speed, ink flow, focus, and number of copies. | Not published |
| Not much | Load machines with materials such as blank paper or film. | Not published |
| Not much | Monitor machine operation, and make adjustments as necessary to ensure proper operation. | Not published |
See all 18 tasks
| Not much | Operate auxiliary machines such as collators, pad and tablet making machines, staplers, and paper punching, folding, cutting, and perforating machines. | Not published |
| Not much | Maintain stock of supplies, and requisition any needed items. | Not published |
| AI + software | Clean machines, perform minor repairs, and report major repair needs. | Not published |
| Not much | Place original copies in feed trays, feed originals into feed rolls, or position originals on tables beneath camera lenses. | Not published |
| AI + software | File and store completed documents. | Not published |
| AI + software | Complete records of production, including work volumes and outputs, materials used, and any backlogs. | Not published |
| AI + software | Compute prices for services and receive payment, or provide supervisors with billing information. | Not published |
| AI + software | Prepare and process papers for use in scanning, microfilming, and microfiche. | Not published |
| Not much | Deliver completed work. | Not published |
| Not much | Clean and file master copies or plates. | Not published |
| Not much | Cut copies apart and write identifying information, such as page numbers or titles, on copies. | Not published |
| Not much | Move heat units and clamping frames over screen beds to form Braille impressions on pages, raising frames to release individual copies. | Not published |
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. 1 of the 18 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 18 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.
- #8 Read documents or materials to inform work processes
- #33 Compile records, documentation, or other data
- #36 Purchase goods or services
- and 1 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operate office equipment | |||
| Adjust equipment to ensure adequate performance | |||
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Maintain tools or equipment | |||
| Clean tools, equipment, facilities, or work areas | |||
| Read documents or materials to inform work processes | |||
| Purchase goods or services | |||
| Determine values or prices of goods or services |
Show all 17 activities
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Sort materials or products | |||
| Mark materials or objects for identification | |||
| Maintain operational records | |||
| Notify others of emergencies or problems | |||
| Monitor equipment operation | |||
| Move materials, equipment, or supplies | |||
| Collect fares or payments | |||
| Stock supplies or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Data or a spreadsheet35%
- A document or report22%
- An analysis or summary14%
- An email or message4%
- Teaching material3%
How they worked with Claude
56% 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 office machine operators, except computer 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 13,615 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 7%
- 2 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 6%
- 3 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 5%
- 4 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 4%
- 5 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 3%
Where people moved in from
of 10,473 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 7%
- 2 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 5%
- 3 Cashiers High -6.5% 4%
- 4 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 4%
- 5 Data Entry Keyers Very high -25.5% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 68% high school
- 9% postsecondary certificate
- 6% associate's
- 17% bachelor's
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 16 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 12% less than high school
- 35% high school
- 27% some college
- 13% associate's
- 12% bachelor's
- 2% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 317 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
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
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
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
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