Also called: Mainframe Operator, Systems Operator
Runs and monitors large computer systems, starting batch jobs and responding to errors.
You watch the nightly batch jobs that print paychecks and bank statements, and restart anything that fails. It's a shrinking role but still exists at banks and government agencies.
BLS median roughly $50k.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. HS diploma plus on-the-job training.
Ways in: On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Shrinking (about -20% over 10 years). BLS projects a steep decline due to automation.
High risk for 10 years. Job schedulers and automation run batch work and respond to errors, so operator jobs keep vanishing.
Age 18+. One way to start: Apply to banks, hospitals and big companies for computer operator or operations center jobs
Classes: Computer applications, Keyboarding.
Official data: O*NET occupation 43-9011.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.