You operated a perforator — an early data-entry machine that punched paper tape with coded representations of text or data — producing the tape input that telegraph, teletype, or computer systems would read.
The perforator station produced paper tape — a long ribbon of paper with holes punched in coded patterns — and operators worked from source documents at production speed, keying the data that the machine punched into tape. The output fed downstream operations: telegraph transmission, teletype messaging, or computer input. Tapes produced and key accuracy anchored the operating measures.
What made the work demanding was the precision required without immediate visual feedback — operators couldn't easily read the punched tape, and verification typically happened at downstream processing rather than at the keying station. Industry variance shaped the work: telegraph offices ran perforator operations for message preparation; news services and corporate communications ran similar workflows; early data-processing operations used perforators for batch-input preparation.
The role fit people comfortable with skilled typing, patient with deferred verification, and steady under production rhythms. Operators trained on the job and often advanced into telegraph, teletype, or computer operations. The trade-off was the eventual displacement by direct-input systems through the 1960s and 1970s, with most perforator operations retired by the early 1980s as electronic systems absorbed the workflow.
Turn your career record
into a springboard for growth.
Where this role sits in the broader career landscape — and where it can take you.
Don't do Truest if you aren't ready
to invest in yourself and your career.
Roles like this one sit within a broader occupational category. The numbers below reflect that full landscape — helpful for context, but your specific experience will depend on level, specialty, and where you work.
Roles with similar work and overlapping career paths
View all Admin & Office roles →You operated a perforator — an early data-entry machine that punched paper tape with coded representations of text or data — producing the tape input that telegraph, teletype, or computer systems would read.
Median pay for a Perforator Operator is about $49K nationally, with the field ranging roughly from $30K to $104K depending on experience, employer, and metro (BLS).
Core skills for this role include Active Listening, Monitoring, Critical Thinking, Judgment and Decision Making, and Reading Comprehension.
Most people in this role hold a high school diploma.
Employment in this field is projected to decline about 13.4% through 2034, with roughly 140,960 people working in it today (BLS).
Closely related roles include Data Collector, Senior Data Collector, and Data Transcriber.
Your job belongs to your employer.
Your career belongs to you.