How to hire word processors and typists
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Address envelopes or prepare envelope labels, using typewriter or computer. • Check completed work for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format. • Electronically sort and compile text and numerical data, retrieving, updating, and merging documents as required. • File and store completed documents on computer hard drive or disk, or maintain a computer filing system to store, retrieve, update, and delete documents. • Perform other clerical duties, such as answering telephone, sorting and distributing mail, running errands or sending faxes. • Print and make copies of work. • Search for specific sets of stored, typed characters to make changes. • Transmit work electronically to other locations. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong reading comprehension, active listening, writing, monitoring and speaking skills • Working knowledge of English Language, administrative, customer and personal service and computers and electronics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $23.69 an hour ($49,280 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for word processors and typists
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to address envelopes or prepare envelope labels, using typewriter or computer. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to check completed work for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to electronically sort and compile text and numerical data, retrieving, updating, and merging documents as required. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to file and store completed documents on computer hard drive or disk, or maintain a computer filing system to store, retrieve, update, and delete documents. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe something important you wrote at work, such as a report, notes or an email. Who read it and what happened next?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What word processors and typists do
- Address envelopes or prepare envelope labels, using typewriter or computer.
- Check completed work for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and format.
- Electronically sort and compile text and numerical data, retrieving, updating, and merging documents as required.
- File and store completed documents on computer hard drive or disk, or maintain a computer filing system to store, retrieve, update, and delete documents.
- Perform other clerical duties, such as answering telephone, sorting and distributing mail, running errands or sending faxes.
- Print and make copies of work.
- Search for specific sets of stored, typed characters to make changes.
- Transmit work electronically to other locations.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for word processors and typists
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 2 years (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -34.4% over ten years, declining · about 1,900 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay word processors and typists
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| California | $56,380 |
| New Jersey | $49,520 |
| New York | $48,400 |
| Michigan | $47,970 |
| Pennsylvania | $41,000 |
See word processors and typists pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Data Entry Keyers
- File Clerks
- Medical Transcriptionists
- Office Clerks, General
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer
- Computer Occupations, All Other
- Receptionists and Information Clerks
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: 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. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.