Office machine operators, except computer: Salary, Job Outlook, Education and Career Path

Operate one or more of a variety of office machines, such as photocopying, photographic, and duplicating machines, or other office machines.

Short answer: Office machine operators, except computer earn a national median annual wage of $40,960 (BLS, May 2025). Employment is projected to change -14.9% from 2025 to 2035 (all occupations: +3.5%), with about 2,100 openings per year. The typical entry credential is high school diploma or equivalent.

Median annual wage
$40,960
May 2025 Verified data
Projected change
-14.9%
2025 to 2035 Official projection
Openings per year
2,100
Average, 2025 to 2035 Official projection
Employment
25,130
OEWS, May 2025 Verified data

Office machine operators, except computer salary

$0$20K$40K$60KUnited States$40,960
National annual wages for office machine operators, except computer, May 2025: 10th percentile $31,750, 25th $36,090, median $40,960, 75th $47,910, 90th $57,960. The bar spans the 25th to 75th percentile, the thin line spans the 10th to 90th percentile, and the red mark is the median.
MeasureAnnualHourly
10th percentile$31,750$15.27
Median (50th percentile)$40,960$19.69
Mean (average)$43,220$20.78
90th percentile$57,960$27.87

These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Office machine operators, except computer pay by state and metro area

$24.5K$56.0K
Median annual wage for office machine operators, except computer by state, May 2025. Highest: Alaska at $56,010. States in gray have no published estimate.
Table: median wage and employment for all 48 states and territories
StateMedian10th pct90th pctEmploymentLocation quotient
Alaska$56,010$24,830$96,390701.3
Arizona$32,060$31,970$46,2406501.24
Arkansas$36,520$31,080$43,3001900.9
California$47,150$36,870$70,5402,3200.79
Colorado$46,860$36,750$64,5302500.53
Connecticut$37,790$34,210$59,810
Delaware$39,200$31,760$53,2401101.42
District of Columbia$41,460$39,250$70,6901701.53
Florida$38,330$32,760$50,6005600.35
Georgia$36,730$31,820$51,6901,0201.29
Hawaii$38,170$36,100$57,4101301.27
Illinois$44,360$34,440$59,9901,1501.17
Indiana$37,860$30,430$56,9806001.15
Iowa$41,330$33,750$63,1902500.99
Kansas$39,050$27,790$51,1103101.32
Kentucky$38,640$30,930$48,0602000.61
Louisiana$36,960$20,800$49,980700.22
Maine$45,240$37,330$56,430600.62
Maryland$35,670$32,440$55,6005801.3
Massachusetts$47,470$38,580$59,240
Michigan$36,880$30,150$50,5303700.52
Minnesota$45,890$34,900$58,4406301.32
Mississippi$34,640$28,580$44,810900.46
Missouri$37,760$31,110$49,2708801.86
Montana$44,260$23,560$56,5501201.48
Nebraska$38,820$31,750$44,1201000.59
Nevada$45,330$38,100$67,140700.29
New Hampshire$32,590$30,700$47,3002302.12
New Jersey$39,360$35,270$56,5201,5702.26
New Mexico$35,140$29,120$67,7301601.16
New York$45,740$36,340$61,4403,7802.42
North Carolina$44,480$31,200$49,6809301.16
Ohio$38,380$23,290$51,1807500.84
Oklahoma$34,810$26,350$48,3102901.06
Oregon$42,910$36,060$55,6103701.17
Pennsylvania$36,720$27,790$48,4201,2301.26
Puerto Rico$24,480$21,840$41,390700.49
Rhode Island$45,560$31,200$71,100700.81
South Carolina$33,870$20,010$45,2501900.52
Tennessee$40,740$29,850$57,3202300.43
Texas$37,060$24,990$51,3501,5500.68
Utah$36,360$24,850$62,8302400.84
Vermont$48,380$37,910$77,570601.14
Virginia$41,920$28,550$61,2105300.8
Washington$46,290$39,070$63,4803400.59
West Virginia$43,140$36,660$59,400800.75
Wisconsin$39,890$36,380$58,3705501.15
Wyoming$37,470$17,860$52,960902.08

A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.

Metro areas with the most jobs

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ3,630
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN850
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA850
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA700
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD680
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV630
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI420
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX400
St. Louis, MO-IL360
Kansas City, MO-KS300

Highest paying metro areas

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$53,810
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$48,310
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN$48,060
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$47,440
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$47,320
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$47,270
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD$47,130
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$46,530
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$45,750
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$44,370
Among metro areas with at least 100 workers in this occupation.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, State. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Metropolitan areas. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Job outlook for office machine operators, except computer

2025 (actual)25,8002035 (projected)21,900
BLS projects employment of office machine operators, except computer to go from 25,800 in 2025 to 21,900 in 2035, a change of -14.9% (-3,800 jobs). All occupations are projected to grow +3.5%.
  • Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 2,100. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection

These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Education and training for office machine operators, except computer

Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
O*NET Job Zone
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Highest education of people working in this occupation

Less than high school9.7%
High school diploma36.4%
Some college, no degree23.1%
Associate's degree13.6%
Bachelor's degree14.6%
Master's degree2.3%
Doctoral or professional0.3%
Share of workers age 25 and over by highest education completed, 2023-24. The most common level is a high school diploma (36.4%).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Education and training tables 5.1 to 5.4. Attainment 2023-24 (ACS); wages 2025; projections 2025-35. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Degrees and programs that lead to this career

Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk

Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Skills, knowledge, and daily work

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension3.1
Active Listening3.0
Speaking3.0
Critical Thinking3.0
Monitoring3.0
Writing2.9
Active Learning2.8
Mathematics2.5
O*NET importance rating on a 1 to 5 scale.

Most important knowledge areas

English Language3.9
Customer and Personal Service3.8
Production and Processing3.4
Computers and Electronics3.0
Mathematics2.9
Administrative2.7
Communications and Media2.3
Mechanical2.3
O*NET importance rating on a 1 to 5 scale.

Typical tasks

  • 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.

Technology skills

  • Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
  • Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
  • Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
  • Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Access (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Office software (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
  • Microsoft Word (hot technology)
  • Eko
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Multi-line optical character reader OCR software

Transferable skills for career changers: Operation and Control, Operations Monitoring, Judgment and Decision Making, Time Management, Social Perceptiveness, Complex Problem Solving.

Common job titles: Copy Center Operator, Copy Machine Operator, Copy Technician, Graphics Production Specialist, Key Operator, Machine Operator, Printing Services Coordinator, Reprographics Technician.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ConnectPrep has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Source: National Center for O*NET Development for USDOL/ETA, O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026 release). Database release 31.0, August 2026; element dates vary by occupation. Published August 25, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.

Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there

Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.

Frequently asked questions

How much do office machine operators, except computer make?

The national median annual wage for office machine operators, except computer was $40,960 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $31,750 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $57,960. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.

What education do office machine operators, except computer need?

BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.

Is office machine operators, except computer a growing career?

BLS projects employment of office machine operators, except computer to change -14.9% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 2,100 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.

Which states pay office machine operators, except computer the most?

By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Alaska ($56,010), Vermont ($48,380), Massachusetts ($47,470). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.

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