Word Processors and Typists
SOC 43-9022 · 2024-2034
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.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
Shrinking -34.5%
California projects this job will shrink over the next ten years. Fewer openings may mean a harder search.
What California expects of this job
- Typical pay in California
- $57,714per year
- Projected openings
- 6,450
- Projected change
- -34.5%
- Usually needs
- High school diploma or equivalent
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Reading Comprehension
- Writing
- Active Listening
- Time Management
- Speaking
- Monitoring
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| Hanford-Corcoran MSA (Kings County) | $56,133 | 10 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA (Santa Barbara County) | $55,715 | 40 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $55,548 | 3,710 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA (Riverside and San Bernardino Counties) | $51,751 | 540 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $51,567 | 240 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $49,616 | 110 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region (Colusa, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Plumas, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, and Trinity Counties) | $49,402 | 10 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $49,013 | 110 |
| Visalia MSA (Tulare County) | $48,768 | 70 |
| Merced MSA (Merced County) | $47,614 | 40 |
| Modesto MSA (Stanislaus County) | $47,614 | 100 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | $46,674 | 70 |
| Stockton-Lodi MSA (San Joaquin County) | $46,102 | 90 |
| Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD (Alameda and Contra Costa Counties) | Not reported | 140 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | Not reported | 120 |
What the pay actually ranges across
- The lowest-paid tenth earn under
- $41,724
- A quarter earn under
- $49,863
- Half earn under
- $57,714
- Three quarters earn under
- $59,035
- The highest-paid tenth earn over
- $67,275
A median is one point. These are the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for California, and they say how far apart the people doing this job actually are. Read them as the spread across everyone already in the work — not as a starting wage and not as a promise about where anyone lands.
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| Occupation | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Entry Keyers | $48,122 | 10,930 | -21.6% |
| Medical Transcriptionists | $46,191 | 10,290 | -1.7% |
| File Clerks | $50,200 | 8,840 | -13.3% |
| Office Clerks, General | $49,607 | 356,700 | -4.5% |
| Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners | $119,268 | 1,690 | -5.3% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | $60,632 | 178,570 | -4.1% |
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