How To Become A Word Processing Specialist: What It Is and Career Path

What is a word processing specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a word processing specialist. For example, did you know that they make an average of $17.09 an hour? That's $35,543 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -8% and produce -286,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWord Processing SpecialistUS Average

Salary

2.8

Avg. Salary $35,543

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.1

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.2

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.09%

Asian 4.71%

Black or African American 6.70%

Hispanic or Latino 10.69%

Unknown 4.53%

White 72.28%

Gender

female 88.54%

male 11.46%

Age - 53

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 53

Stress level

4.1

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

3.9

Complexity level is basic

7 - challenging

Work life balance

10.0

Work life balance is excellent

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a word processing specialist

Explore word processing specialist education requirements

Most common word processing specialist degrees

Bachelor's

35.8 %

Associate

30.7 %

High School Diploma

14.9 %

Start to develop specific word processing specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Transcription	13.79%
Dictation	9.97%
PowerPoint	8.40%
Word Processing Equipment	6.77%
Law Firm	6.13%

Complete relevant word processing specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New word processing specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a word processing specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real word processing specialist resumes.

Research word processing specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage and maintain patients' medical records by utilizing computer applications management database processing system to ensure county compliance.
Detail organizational charts, flow charts and presentations incorporating text, charts and graphics using PowerPoint.
Construct, edit and insert graphics, tables, PDF files, and PowerPoint presentations as required.
Transcribe from Dictaphone reports of investigation, safety and loss control reports, record statements and general correspondence.

Prepare your word processing specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your word processing specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a word processing specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable word processing specialist resume templates

Build a professional word processing specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your word processing specialist resume.

Apply for word processing specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a word processing specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do word processing specialists rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Word processing specialist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Cons

There is not much I do not enjoy.

A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019

Pros

Interaction with clients and or customers is what I mainly liked, especially when confidentiality was needed! I also liked multitasking for different. departments.