Word processors and typists
SOC Code: 43-9022
Word processors and typists carries a 80% AI exposure score (Very High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $47,850 and -36.1% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 40,000 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 80% AI exposure, Word processors and typists sits 43 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - among the most AI-exposed occupations tracked. It is one of just 21 occupations above the 70% high-exposure line.
Career outlook score
11/100
Word processors and typists, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $47,850
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -36.1%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 80% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Word processors and typists in the Very High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is HS / some college (333/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Word processors and typists sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Word processors and typists sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
80% Higher than most higher than 99% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Word processors and typists vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Word processors and typists is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Word processors and typists's Very High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score above 70% signals that the majority of core duties are already technically automatable, workers in these roles face the steepest near-term displacement pressure.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 43-9022) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Word processors and typists be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Word processors and typists. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Perform other clerical duties, such as answering telephone, sorting and distributing mail, running errands or sending faxes.
- 2. Check completed work for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format.
- 3. File and store completed documents on computer hard drive or disk, or maintain a computer filing system to store, retrieve, update, and delete documents.
- 4. Print and make copies of work.
- 5. Transmit work electronically to other locations.
- 6. Address envelopes or prepare envelope labels, using typewriter or computer.
- 7. 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.
- 8. Gather, register, and arrange the material to be typed, following instructions.
- 9. Compute and verify totals on report forms, requisitions, or bills, using adding machine or calculator.
- 10. Manage schedules and set dates, times, and locations for meetings and appointments.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Speaking
- Monitoring
- Time Management
- Service Orientation
- Critical Thinking
- Mathematics
- Social Perceptiveness
Knowledge Areas
- Administrative
- English Language
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Law and Government
- Administration and Management
- Mathematics
- Communications and Media
- Psychology
- Telecommunications
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Word processors and typists?
Word processors and typists has an AI exposure score of 80%, indicating a very high level of automation risk. Many tasks in this role involve routine data processing and pattern recognition that current AI systems can perform.
What is the job outlook for Word processors and typists?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Word processors and typists is projected to decline by 36.1% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 40,000 workers.
What skills are needed for Word processors and typists?
Key skills for Word processors and typists include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Writing, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Word processors and typists earn?
The median annual wage for Word processors and typists is $47,850, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Word processors and typists?
The typical entry-level education for Word processors and typists is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Word processors and typists?
Word processors and typists roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Very High automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. A majority of tasks in this occupation are susceptible to AI automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Word processors and typists: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (80% here).
- Library assistants, clerical · AI exposure 80%
- Medical secretaries and administrative assistants · AI exposure 80%
- Financial managers · AI exposure 81%
- File clerks · AI exposure 79%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-36.1% here).
- Switchboard operators, including answering service · growth -26.3%
- Data entry keyers · growth -25.9%
- Foundry mold and coremakers · growth -25.9%
- Telemarketers · growth -22.1%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 24 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Word processors and typists' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Word processors and typists side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).