Word Processors and Typists Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for word processors and typistss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- Colorado$55,700
- California$54,840
- Massachusetts$54,540
- Washington$54,520
- Minnesota$54,260
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Georgia$35,730
- West Virginia$36,500
- Florida$40,710
- Indiana$41,580
- Missouri$41,790
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Colorado | $55,700 | $57,550 | $27 | +9% | 60 |
| 2 | California | $54,840 | $56,380 | $26 | +7.3% | 10,270 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | $54,540 | $53,740 | $26 | +6.7% | 350 |
| 4 | Washington | $54,520 | $46,110 | $26 | +6.7% | 140 |
| 5 | Minnesota | $54,260 | $51,550 | $26 | +6.1% | 210 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $53,970 | $49,180 | $26 | +5.6% | 120 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $52,870 | $49,520 | $25 | +3.4% | 3,560 |
| 8 | Oregon | $52,580 | $52,420 | $25 | +2.9% | 40 |
| 9 | Connecticut | $52,140 | $49,250 | $25 | +2% | 170 |
| 10 | New York | $51,720 | $48,400 | $25 | +1.2% | 12,340 |
| 11 | Illinois | $51,350 | $45,490 | $25 | +0.4% | 490 |
| 12 | Delaware | $50,570 | $45,480 | $24 | -1.1% | 50 |
| 13 | Maryland | $50,340 | $47,110 | $24 | -1.5% | 210 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $49,660 | $47,040 | $24 | -2.9% | 120 |
| 15 | Michigan | $48,740 | $47,970 | $23 | -4.7% | 520 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | $48,690 | $48,540 | $23 | -4.8% | 180 |
| 17 | Arizona | $48,550 | $42,070 | $23 | -5% | — |
| 18 | Idaho | $48,470 | $49,930 | $23 | -5.2% | 60 |
| 19 | Tennessee | $48,340 | $49,750 | $23 | -5.4% | 90 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $46,910 | $47,080 | $23 | -8.2% | 80 |
| 21 | Texas | $46,290 | $47,720 | $22 | -9.4% | 290 |
| 22 | Alabama | $46,260 | $46,860 | $22 | -9.5% | 70 |
| 23 | Virginia | $46,150 | $46,130 | $22 | -9.7% | 290 |
| 24 | New Mexico | $45,720 | $46,400 | $22 | -10.6% | 60 |
| 25 | Ohio | $45,720 | $48,670 | $22 | -10.6% | 310 |
| 26 | Nevada | $45,420 | $41,290 | $22 | -11.2% | 170 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $44,930 | $40,060 | $22 | -12.1% | 270 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $44,710 | $42,840 | $22 | -12.5% | 30 |
| 29 | Oklahoma | $44,430 | $43,710 | $21 | -13.1% | 40 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $43,840 | $41,000 | $21 | -14.2% | 1,170 |
| 31 | Arkansas | $43,000 | $43,010 | $21 | -15.9% | 40 |
| 32 | Iowa | $42,740 | $43,210 | $21 | -16.4% | 360 |
| 33 | Missouri | $41,790 | $37,440 | $20 | -18.3% | 260 |
| 34 | Indiana | $41,580 | $39,520 | $20 | -18.7% | 120 |
| 35 | Florida | $40,710 | $35,770 | $20 | -20.4% | 1,000 |
| 36 | West Virginia | $36,500 | $36,060 | $18 | -28.6% | 80 |
| 37 | Georgia | $35,730 | $31,450 | $17 | -30.1% | — |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 87 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $79,430 | $69,920 | 840 |
| 2 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $64,280 | $69,060 | 100 |
| 3 | Worcester, MA | $59,110 | $55,980 | 90 |
| 4 | Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $58,450 | $58,610 | 40 |
| 5 | Ann Arbor, MI | $58,180 | $55,680 | 30 |
| 6 | Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $58,150 | $57,350 | 130 |
| 7 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $57,820 | $57,150 | 50 |
| 8 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $57,670 | $53,250 | 6,830 |
| 9 | Salinas, CA | $57,590 | $56,580 | 80 |
| 10 | San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $57,320 | $56,050 | 410 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing word processors and typistss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rail Transportation | $61,510 | $62,600 | 30 |
| 2 | Rail Transportation | $61,510 | $62,600 | 30 |
| 3 | Sectors 48 and 49 - Transportation and Warehousing | $60,620 | $57,920 | 40 |
| 4 | Legal Services | $59,700 | $66,110 | 1,070 |
| 5 | Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | $59,280 | $62,930 | 90 |
| 6 | Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $56,380 | $56,000 | 620 |
| 7 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, Local Government Owned | $56,380 | $56,000 | 610 |
| 8 | Outpatient Care Centers | $56,000 | $55,810 | 30 |
| 9 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $54,040 | $53,090 | 970 |
| 10 | Hospitals | $53,790 | $51,640 | 1,170 |
| 11 | Junior Colleges, Local Government Owned | $53,180 | $54,510 | 270 |
| 12 | Hospitals, Privately Owned | $51,890 | $47,810 | 340 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Top Skills
Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do word processors and typists make in the U.S.?
The median word processors and typists salary in the United States is $49,280 per year (mean $51,120), and about 80% earn between $36,810 and $65,150.
How much do word processors and typists make per hour?
Roughly $25 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $51,120 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays word processors and typists the most?
Colorado has the highest average pay for word processors and typists at $55,700 per year (median $57,550).
What is the job outlook for word processors and typists?
Employment is projected to change -36.1% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 2,200 openings per year.