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Data entry clerk: pay, job outlook and how to become one

Updated October 26, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$41,340median pay per year, or $19.88 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $31,200lowest 10% earn less
  2. $35,76025th percentile
  3. $41,340median
  4. $48,41075th percentile
  5. $58,790top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[4]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[5]

Data entry keyers, the BLS category that fits data entry clerks, earned a median of $41,340 a year in May 2025[1]. BLS projects employment to fall 25.5% from 2025 to 2035 as automated tools take over more of the work[2][3].

Job growth, 2025–35
-25.5%[2]
Openings per year
7,700[6]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[7]

How much do data entry clerks make?

The median wage for data entry keyers was $41,340 a year, or $19.88 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The mean (average) wage was $43,310 a year, or $20.82 an hour[8]. The median for all occupations in the US was $50,980 a year[5].

Here are the percentile wages:

Percentile Annual wage Hourly wage
10th[4][9] $31,200 $15.00
25th[4][9] $35,760 $17.19
75th[4][9] $48,410 $23.27
90th[4][9] $58,790 $28.26

The lowest-paid 10% of workers earned less than $31,200[4][10]. BLS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary[10].

These wages cover full-time and part-time workers paid a wage or salary. They leave out self-employed people and do not include nonproduction bonuses or the cost of benefits such as health insurance[11]. About 127,080 people held these jobs in May 2025[12].

Pay by state and city

The District of Columbia had the highest median at $55,170, followed by New Mexico at $49,810 and North Dakota at $48,300[13]. Job counts are small in some of these places, with 200 jobs in DC and 110 in North Dakota[13]. Arkansas had the lowest median on the list, at $33,860[13].

The most jobs were in Texas (17,850), California (14,520) and New York (9,470)[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA had the highest median at $54,510[15]. Albuquerque, NM followed at $53,320, then Bloomington, IN at $51,760[15]. The New York-Newark-Jersey City area had the most jobs, at 10,110, with a median of $45,350[16].

Show median pay in 48 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[13]$55,170200
New Mexico$49,810300
North Dakota$48,300110
Maine$48,190140
Hawaii$47,630210
Massachusetts$47,5601,590
Washington$47,4801,360
Utah$47,1802,140
California$47,01014,520
Wyoming$45,870140
Rhode Island$44,980270
New York$44,8609,470
Minnesota$44,2801,360
Colorado$43,9101,190
Iowa$43,6401,180
New Hampshire$43,440790
Vermont$43,280290
Arizona$43,2003,420
Illinois$42,8405,910
Idaho$42,810540
New Jersey$42,4704,940
Montana$42,340300
Georgia$41,2703,410
Alaska$40,700160
Indiana$40,5502,370
Tennessee$40,4902,360
Ohio$40,2204,530
North Carolina$39,6103,330
Nebraska$39,6001,260
Nevada$39,260800
Maryland$38,9701,850
Virginia$38,9002,890
Florida$38,8807,650
Texas$38,88017,850
Pennsylvania$38,8105,270
Oklahoma$38,5901,290
Connecticut$38,5601,290
Kansas$38,2901,210
Wisconsin$38,1702,360
Michigan$38,0803,290
South Carolina$38,0701,490
Delaware$37,810410
Louisiana$36,9201,800
Kentucky$36,8702,020
West Virginia$35,900660
Alabama$35,1301,060
Mississippi$34,540530
South Dakota$34,32030
Arkansas$33,8601,000

How to become a data entry clerk

O*NET places the job in a group that needs very little to some preparation[17].

What data entry clerks do

O*NET describes the work as running a data entry device. It may also include checking data and preparing materials for printing[18]. Common tasks include:

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to fall 25.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 131,800 to 98,200 jobs[2]. For all occupations, BLS projects growth of 3.5%[20]. BLS links the drop to organizations replacing traditional data entry with automated processes. It names artificial intelligence, machine learning, mobile data capture and optical character recognition[3].

Openings continue even so. BLS projects about 7,700 openings a year on average from 2025 to 2035[6]. Openings include jobs left by people who retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs[6]. Each year, 4.1% of workers leave the labor force and 5.6% move to a different occupation[21]. About 1.6% of data entry keyers were self-employed in 2025[22].

Is it a good fit?

The job has a low barrier to entry. It typically needs a high school diploma, no related experience and short on-the-job training[7]. The median pay is below the all-occupations median, and the 90th percentile was $58,790[1][5][4]. The outlook is the main thing to weigh. BLS projects a 25.5% decline, while about 7,700 openings a year are still expected[2][6].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a data entry clerk make an hour?
The median was $19.88 an hour in May 2025, and the mean was $20.82[1][8]. The 10th percentile was $15.00 and the 90th was $28.26[9].
What education do you need to be a data entry clerk?
A high school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry education, with no related work experience needed[7].
Is data entry in demand?
BLS projects a 25.5% decline from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all occupations[2][20]. About 7,700 openings a year are still projected[6].
What is the highest paying state for data entry keyers?
The District of Columbia had the highest median, at $55,170, based on 200 jobs[13]. Among states, New Mexico was next at $49,810[13].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Data Entry Keyers in the US was $41,340 per year and $19.88 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Data Entry Keyers is projected to decline 25.5% from 2025 to 2035, from about 131,800 to 98,200 jobs (a change of -33,600). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS Employment Projections, factor affecting employment of Data Entry Keyers: Capital/labor substitution - share decreases as organizations increasingly manage, store, and analyze large quantities of data, requiring traditional data entry methods to be replaced by automated processes through use of expanded technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), mobile data capture, and optical character recognition (OCR). BLS Employment Projections
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Data Entry Keyers: 10th percentile $31,200, 25th percentile $35,760, 75th percentile $48,410, 90th percentile $58,790. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  6. BLS Employment Projections: about 7,700 openings for Data Entry Keyers are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Data Entry Keyers: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Data Entry Keyers was $43,310 per year and $20.82 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Data Entry Keyers: 10th percentile $15.00, 25th percentile $17.19, 75th percentile $23.27, 90th percentile $28.26. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 127,080 people were employed as Data Entry Keyers in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. Median annual wage for Data Entry Keyers in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Data Entry Keyers jobs: Texas 17,850; California 14,520; New York 9,470; Florida 7,650; Illinois 5,910. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Data Entry Keyers (areas with at least 100 jobs): San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $54,510; Albuquerque, NM $53,320; Bloomington, IN $51,760; Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA $51,660; New Haven, CT $51,340; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $51,250; Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $48,350; Port St. Lucie, FL $48,020. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Data Entry Keyers jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 10,110 (median $45,350); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 5,900 (median $47,040); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 5,610 (median $43,110); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 4,430 (median $39,520); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 4,270 (median $44,650); Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 2,650 (median $44,160). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. O*NET 43-9021.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET description of Data Entry Keyers. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET task list for Data Entry Keyers. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Data Entry Keyers: 4.1% of workers leave the labor force each year and 5.6% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS Employment Projections: 1.6% of Data Entry Keyers were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  23. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.