How To Become A Copy Operator: What It Is and Career Path

What is a copy operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a copy operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $14.57 an hour? That's $30,304 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow -5% and produce -130,800 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreCopy OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.4

Avg. Salary $30,304

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.8

Growth Rate -5%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.7

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.26%

Asian 11.15%

Black or African American 17.16%

Hispanic or Latino 30.36%

Unknown 4.38%

White 35.70%

Gender

female 34.49%

male 65.51%

Age - 45

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 - 45

Stress Level

7.8

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

7.5

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Newest jobs for Copy Operator in Columbus, OH

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Key steps to become a copy operator

Explore copy operator education requirements

Most common copy operator degrees

High School Diploma

39.0 %

Bachelor's

22.7 %

Associate

21.5 %

Start to develop specific copy operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Minor Maintenance	54.08%
Copy Machines	7.13%
Velo	3.36%
Law Firm	3.19%
GBC	2.92%

Complete relevant copy operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New copy operators 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 copy operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real copy operator resumes.

Research copy operator duties and responsibilities

Achieve all sales & service goals to drive profits through upselling to business customers.
Install and troubleshoot various equipment such as printers and fax machines.
Finalize projects including: GBC binding.
Scan PDF files of various images and presentation materials.

Prepare your copy operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your copy operator 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 copy operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Copy Operator Resume templates

Build a professional Copy Operator 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 Copy Operator resume.

Apply for copy operator jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a copy operator 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 copy operators rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Copy Operator reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

Learning new products

Cons

I started with Xerox products since 1988. From the Xerox 95 and 9900 to the Doutech. There isn't anything that I do not like about Xerox