Average Word Processors And Typists Salary in the United States
The national median salary for Word Processors And Typists is $49,280 per year. The middle 50% earn between $40,800 and $57,670, with 35,010 workers employed nationally.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 estimates . Data covers 38 states and 83 metro areas.
Pay distribution
Here is how Word Processors And Typists pay is distributed across workers nationally. The 10th percentile typically reflects entry-level or early-career pay, the median is the midpoint, and the 90th percentile represents the top earners in the field.
- 10th
- $36,810
- 25th
- $40,800
- Median
- $49,280
- 75th
- $57,670
- 90th
- $65,150
All values are percentiles of annual wages.
Word Processors And Typists earn close to the national median for all US workers. Solidly middle-income.
Pay is tightly clustered around the median. Most word processors and typists earn within a narrow band, with less variation than many other occupations. That is often a sign of standardized roles or union and public-sector pay scales.
Job outlook
BLS projects employment for word processors and typists from 2024 to 2034. This occupation is projected to shrink. Workers may face more competition for fewer openings, and the role may see automation or consolidation pressure.
- Projected growth
- -36.1%
- -14,400 net jobs over the projection period.
- Annual openings
- 2,200
- Includes growth plus replacements for workers who leave.
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
A high-school diploma is typically sufficient for entry, with much of the training happening on the job.
Where Word Processors And Typists earn the most
Location matters for pay. The top-paying state is noticeably above the national median, so relocating to a higher-paying market can meaningfully boost earnings. Right now, the top-paying state is Colorado at $57,550, about 16.8% above the national median. At the metro level, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA leads with a median of $79,430.
Top-paying states
| State | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $57,550 | 60 |
| California | $56,380 | 10,270 |
| Massachusetts | $53,740 | 350 |
| Oregon | $52,420 | 40 |
| Minnesota | $51,550 | 210 |
| Idaho | $49,930 | 60 |
| Tennessee | $49,750 | 90 |
| New Jersey | $49,520 | 3,560 |
Top-paying metros
| Metro area | Median salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $79,430 | 840 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $64,280 | 100 |
| Worcester, MA | $59,110 | 90 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $58,450 | 40 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $58,180 | 30 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $58,150 | 130 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $57,820 | 50 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $57,670 | 6,830 |
Compare two locations side by side
Pick two states or metros to see word processors and typists pay in each, along with a cost-of-living adjusted view.
Salary trend and related occupations
Between 2019 and 2025, the national median salary for Word Processors And Typists rose from $40,340 to $49,280, a gain of +22.2% in nominal dollars.
Over the same period, US consumer prices rose by +25.9%. Just to keep pace with inflation, the 2019 median of $40,340 would need to be worth $50,799 in 2025 dollars.
The actual 2025 median of $49,280 is −$1,519 below that inflation-adjusted benchmark, a real change of -3.0% in purchasing power.
Adjusted for inflation, pay has lost ground. Nominal growth of 22.2% has not kept up with rising prices.
- Nominal change
- +22.2%
- 2019–2025
- Cumulative inflation
- +25.9%
- US CPI, 2019–2025
- Real change
- -3.0%
- After adjusting for inflation
Median salary over time
Word Processors And Typists median pay by year, going back through the available BLS releases.
- 2025
- $49,280
- 2024
- $47,850
- 2023
- $46,450
- 2022
- $44,330
- 2021
- $44,030
- 2020
- $41,050
- 2019
- $40,340
BLS did not publish a median for 2000–2018, so those years are omitted.
Related occupations
Other occupations in the same field, with median pay for comparison.
- Proofreaders And Copy Markers
- $51,120
- Office Clerks, General
- $45,010
- Desktop Publishers
- $55,290
- Data Entry Keyers
- $41,340
Common salary questions for Word Processors And Typists
What does the median salary mean? +
The median is the midpoint of all wages. Half of Word Processors And Typists workers earn more and half earn less. It is a better measure of typical pay than the average, which can be skewed by very high or very low earners.
Why does pay vary so much by location? +
Local labor markets, cost of living, industry concentration, and employer competition all affect wages. High-cost metros like San Francisco and New York often pay more in nominal terms, though some of that premium is offset by higher living costs.
How current is this salary data? +
This page uses the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. BLS publishes OEWS data once per year, typically in the spring for the previous May reference period.
What do the percentile ranges tell me? +
The 10th and 90th percentiles show the full pay band. The 25th to 75th percentile range, the middle 50%, is where most workers fall. A wide spread usually means experience, specialization, or location matter a lot for this occupation.