Occupations · Office and Administrative Support
Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
Operate one or more of a variety of office machines, such as photocopying, photographic, and duplicating machines, or other office machines.
O*NET 30.3 Database (USDOL/ETA) · occupation code 43-9071.00
What it pays
A single “average salary” hides the spread. This is the whole distribution — the gap between the bottom and top bar is usually the number that matters.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024 · national, cross-industry · annual wage
Pay over time
Median up 76% between 2003 and 2024, before inflation. The band shows the 10th to 90th percentile.
BLS OEWS, one release per year. Before May 2011 only national estimates were published, so geography detail starts there.
Where the jobs are
| Metro area | Median wage | Employed |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | $39,260 | 2,920 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $43,830 | 1,370 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $40,790 | 690 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI | $44,290 | 690 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $41,000 | 600 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $43,830 | 600 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $32,230 | 580 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $44,460 | 470 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $45,340 | 450 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $40,110 | 420 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | $36,550 | 370 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $40,220 | 350 |
BLS OEWS May 2024, metropolitan estimates · the 12 areas with the most people in this occupation
Typical education to enter: High school diploma or equivalent · BLS Employment Projections 2024–34
What people in this job actually do
Ordered by how important the work is rated.
- 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.
- Load machines with materials such as blank paper or film.
- Monitor machine operation, and make adjustments as necessary to ensure proper operation.
- Clean machines, perform minor repairs, and report major repair needs.
- File and store completed documents.
O*NET 30.3 task ratings, importance scale
Skills that matter most
Importance, rated 1 to 5.
O*NET 30.3 skills, importance scale
Software and tools
A dot marks what O*NET flags as in demand.
O*NET 30.3 software skills · hot-technology flag
What this work is actually like
Conditions rated against the average across all occupations — only what makes this job different is listed.
O*NET 30.3 Job Zones
Working conditions that stand out
O*NET 30.3 work context, frequency scale · observed 2017-07
How people actually get in
Share of workers by the education they hold.
O*NET 30.2 education, training and experience · observed 2017-07
What kind of person the work suits
Occupational interest profile, rated 1 to 7.
O*NET 30.2 occupational interests (RIASEC)
What you take with you
Skills rated for how well they transfer into other occupations.
O*NET 30.3 transferable skills, importance scale
Knowledge the work draws on
Abilities it leans on
O*NET 30.3 abilities and knowledge, importance scale
How this job is advertised
The same work is posted under many titles — this is what to search for.
O*NET 30.3 job titles reported for this occupation
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What changed since 2015
Comparing O*NET release 20.1 (2015-10-01) with 30.3 (2026-05-01). Signs, not colour alone, carry the meaning.
Now listed 9
No longer listed 2
Diff across the O*NET releases held here in full since October 2015, following occupations through merges and retirements. O*NET re-surveys occupations on a rolling cycle, so “no change” can also mean “not re-surveyed”.
Related jobs
O*NET 30.3 related occupations
Also called
O*NET 30.3 alternative titles
The same work in Europe
| ESCO occupation | ISCO | Match |
|---|---|---|
| office clerk | 4110.1 | close |
| reprographics technician | 7322.8 | broader |
| bindery operator | 7323.1 | broader |
| scanning operator | 7321.1.4 | broader |
| print folding operator | 7323.4 | broader |
Official ESCO ↔ O*NET crosswalk (ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA)
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