by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 2 U.S. colleges awarded 25 degrees and certificates in Word Processing. Graduates earn a median $46,578 one year after completing, rising to $61,998 after four years.
A degree in Word Processing involves the study of Word Processing. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Perform Text Typing, Table Construction, And Document Formatting Tasks On Personal Computers At A High Rate Of Accuracy And Proficiency. Includes Instruction In Keyboarding Skills, Word Processor Operation, Textual Draft Interpretation, Audio And Tape Dictation, And Specific Word Processing Program Software.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, word processing is a widely-pursued major, with 25 degrees awarded annually. 2 colleges award word processing degrees, an average of 12 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 17.
By level, the 25 awards include 17 master’s degrees.
Women earned 48% of word processing degrees and certificates in the latest year (12 of 25). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (11) and Hispanic or Latino (5).
O*NET rates Reading Comprehension the most important skill for jobs related to word processing, at 3.5 out of 5. The key knowledge areas are Administrative, English Language and Customer and Personal Service. The most important abilities are Near Vision, Written Comprehension and Speech Recognition.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a word processing degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 17 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to word processing, at 49.6%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 49.6% |
| Some college courses | 45.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 3.0% |
| Less than a high school diploma | 2.0% |
Source: O*NET Online.
1 occupations are related to Word Processing, with an average median salary of $38,983; the strongest outlook belongs to Word Processors and Typists, at 8.5% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Policy Typist, Legal Typist, Order Processing Specialist and Ediphone Operator.
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to word processing, at 167,447.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Word Processors and Typists | 167,447 | 8.5% |
Word Processing graduates earn a median $46,578 one year after completing their program, $61,998 after four years and $35,657 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $46,578 |
| 4 years | $61,998 |
| 5 years | $35,657 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to word processing, with a median salary of $38,983.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Word Processors and Typists | $38,983 |
Word Processing has 2 similar majors in the Computer & Information Sciences field, which together award 525 degrees a year; the largest are Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications, General (520) and Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications, Other (5). Browse all Computer & Information Sciences majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications, General | 520 |
| Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications, Other | 5 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.