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.
📋Key Responsibilities
- •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.
💡Inside This Career
The office machine operator runs specialized office equipment—operating copiers, binding machines, duplicating equipment, and other specialized machinery that office document production requires. A typical day centers on machine operation. Perhaps 80% of time goes to equipment operation: running copy jobs, binding documents, operating duplicating equipment, maintaining machines. Another 15% involves job management—receiving and prioritizing requests, ensuring quality, troubleshooting problems. The remaining time addresses supply management and administrative duties.
People who thrive as office machine operators combine technical aptitude with attention to quality and the efficiency that high-volume document production requires. Successful operators develop expertise with their equipment while building the problem-solving abilities that keeping machines running demands. They must maintain consistency across large production runs. Those who struggle often cannot handle the repetitive nature of machine operation or find the production pressure stressful. Others fail because they cannot maintain the quality standards that professional document production requires.
Office machine operation represents a declining support function as digital document management and network printers reduced the need for specialized operators. Remaining positions concentrate in organizations with high-volume production needs. Office machine operators appear in discussions of document production, administrative support, and the occupations displaced by technology change.
Practitioners cite the technical work and the tangible output as primary rewards. The equipment operation provides technical identity. The results of work are visible and immediate. The production environment is structured. The independence of machine work suits some. The entry is accessible. The work is straightforward. Common frustrations include the declining field and the monotony. Many find that the role is disappearing. The work is extremely repetitive. Machine problems create pressure. The production quotas are demanding. Career advancement is minimal. The work is often viewed as low-skill despite technical requirements.
This career requires equipment training with mechanical aptitude. Strong attention to quality, technical ability, and efficiency are essential. The role suits those wanting structured production work and comfortable with equipment operation. It is poorly suited to those seeking career longevity, wanting varied work, or uncomfortable with repetitive tasks. Compensation is low to moderate for operational support.
📈Career Progression
📚Education & Training
Requirements
- •Entry Education: High school diploma or equivalent
- •Experience: Some experience helpful
- •On-the-job Training: Few months to one year
Time & Cost
🤖AI Resilience Assessment
AI Resilience Assessment
Default: Moderate AI impact with balanced human-AI collaboration expected
How much of this job involves tasks AI can currently perform
Likelihood that AI replaces workers vs. assists them
(BLS 2024-2034)
How much this role relies on distinctly human capabilities
💻Technology Skills
⭐Key Abilities
🏷️Also Known As
🔗Related Careers
Other careers in office-admin
🔗Data Sources
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