Office Machine Operators, Except Computer: Career Overview
Operate one or more of a variety of office machines, such as photocopying, photographic, and duplicating machines, or other office machines.
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The Daily Work of Office Machine Operators, Except Computer Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of office machine operators, except computer cover:
- Read job orders to determine the type of work to be done, the quantities to be produced, and the materials needed.
- Deliver completed work.
- Place original copies in feed trays, feed originals into feed rolls, or position originals on tables beneath camera lenses.
- Sort, assemble, and proof completed work.
- 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.
- Complete records of production, including work volumes and outputs, materials used, and any backlogs.
- Compute prices for services and receive payment, or provide supervisors with billing information.
- Set up and adjust machines, regulating factors such as speed, ink flow, focus, and number of copies.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful office machine operators, except computer combine a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
The competencies most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Core Knowledge
Other Office Machine Operators, Except Computer Job Titles
Common job titles for this role include:
- Braille Coder
- Braille Duplicating Machine Operator
- Business Machine Operator
- Check Embosser
- Check Writing Machine Operator
- Clerical Offset Duplicating Machine Operator
- Coin Machine Operator
- Coin Rolling Machine Operator
Job Outlook
There are about 288,692 office machine operators, except computer working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +1.9% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Office Machine Operators, Except Computer Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $50,998 |
| Hourly median | $24.52 |
| 10th percentile | $29,964 |
| 25th percentile | $40,481 |
| 75th percentile | $61,515 |
| 90th percentile | $72,032 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Alaska | $50,220 |
| Massachusetts | $47,040 |
| Maryland | $46,870 |
| Washington | $45,180 |
| California | $45,070 |
| West Virginia | $44,720 |
| District of Columbia | $44,650 |
| Illinois | $44,280 |
| Connecticut | $43,700 |
| Alabama | $43,310 |
| Maine | $42,910 |
| Hawaii | $42,840 |
| Nevada | $42,480 |
| Colorado | $41,980 |
| Delaware | $41,840 |
| New York | $40,880 |
| Oregon | $40,450 |
| Missouri | $40,390 |
| Ohio | $40,340 |
| Minnesota | $40,330 |
| Wisconsin | $40,230 |
| Georgia | $39,160 |
| Michigan | $38,900 |
| Vermont | $38,370 |
| Utah | $38,270 |
| Indiana | $38,100 |
| Florida | $37,750 |
| Nebraska | $37,740 |
| New Jersey | $37,710 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,440 |
| Virginia | $37,260 |
| Iowa | $37,090 |
| North Carolina | $36,890 |
| South Carolina | $36,890 |
| South Dakota | $36,560 |
| Wyoming | $36,480 |
| Montana | $36,410 |
| Arkansas | $36,400 |
| New Hampshire | $36,320 |
| Louisiana | $35,800 |
| Rhode Island | $35,720 |
| Tennessee | $35,390 |
| New Mexico | $35,020 |
| Kansas | $34,980 |
| Kentucky | $34,840 |
| Mississippi | $34,800 |
| Texas | $34,050 |
| Oklahoma | $33,750 |
| Arizona | $30,940 |
| Puerto Rico | $25,490 |
Pay by U.S. Region
Earnings for office machine operators, except computer differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $44,788 | 16.2% | 0.99 |
| New England | $42,080 | 3.3% | 1.04 |
| Great Lakes | $40,865 | 12.3% | 0.86 |
| Middle Atlantic | $39,948 | 24.0% | 1.73 |
| Plains States | $39,300 | 11.5% | 1.90 |
| Rocky Mountains | $37,697 | 3.6% | 1.07 |
| Southeast | $37,364 | 18.2% | 0.81 |
| Southwest | $34,079 | 10.5% | 0.96 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | CA | $52,540 | 30 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | GA | $52,000 | |
| Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT | CT | $51,850 | 40 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $51,630 | 30 |
| Salem, OR | OR | $50,650 | 40 |
| Peoria, IL | IL | $48,800 | 30 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | MA | $48,120 | 210 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $47,780 | 190 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of office machine operators, except computer work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 6,550 | $38,270 |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,520 | $41,640 |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,390 | $38,640 |
| Information | 2,340 | $32,230 |
| Finance and Insurance | 2,250 | $39,150 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,920 | $38,300 |
| Educational Services | 1,890 | $43,600 |
| Manufacturing | 1,240 | $40,560 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Tools and Technology
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Microsoft Access (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Word processing software: Microsoft Word (hot technology)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of office machine operators, except computer reflects the following characteristics:
- Time Pressure
- Telephone Conversations
- Contact With Others
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How to Become Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
Typical office machine operators, except computer positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- File Clerks (Supplemental)
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators (Primary-Long)
- Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks (Supplemental)
- Shipping, Receiving, and Inventory Clerks (Supplemental)
- Data Entry Keyers (Primary-Short)
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service (Primary-Long)
- Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers (Primary-Long)
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics (Supplemental)
Sources
Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 43-9071.00 (Office Machine Operators, Except Computer).