You operated the IBM Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter — MT/ST, an electric typewriter with magnetic-tape storage that recorded keystrokes for later editing and replay — producing documents in legal, government, and large-corporate offices.
The MT/ST workstation sat at a desk like a typewriter — with tape cartridges recording the typing for editing and replay — and operators worked from manuscript drafts, recording original text, revising through tape edits, and producing final output. Documents produced and revision-turnaround quality anchored the operating measures.
What surprised people about the work was the editing flexibility tape made possible — operators could insert, delete, and reorder text in ways that mechanical typewriters couldn't, and MT/ST operations became central to law firms, government agencies, and corporate executive offices. Variance across employers shaped the role: law firms ran heavy MT/ST work for repetitive document production; corporate offices used the machines for executive correspondence; government agencies relied on them for standardized forms.
The role suited those comfortable with skilled typing and patient with the mechanical tape system — MT/ST operators were often the first word-processing specialists in their organizations. The trade-off was the displacement by dedicated word processors and PCs through the 1980s, with MT/ST operations retiring as Wang, IBM Displaywriter, and later Microsoft Word absorbed the workload.
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View all Admin & Office roles →You operated the IBM Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter — MT/ST, an electric typewriter with magnetic-tape storage that recorded keystrokes for later editing and replay — producing documents in legal, government, and large-corporate offices.
Median pay for a Magnetic Tape Selectric Typewriter Operator (MTST Operator) is about $40K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $30K to $57K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring, Writing, and Time Management.
Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 25.9% through 2034, with roughly 135,280 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Data Collector, Senior Data Collector, and Data Transcriber.
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