Data Entry Keyers
Operate data entry device, such as keyboard or photo composing perforator. Duties may include verifying data and preparing materials for printing.
What it pays
Data Entry Keyers earn a median of $19.88/hr — about $41,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.00/hr; the top 10% earn $28.26/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Data Entry Keyers earn a median of $19.88/hr — about $41,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $15.00/hr; the top 10% earn $28.26/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors.
- Compile, sort, and verify the accuracy of data before it is entered.
- Compare data with source documents, or re-enter data in verification format to detect errors.
- Store completed documents in appropriate locations.
- Select materials needed to complete work assignments.
- Read source documents such as canceled checks, sales reports, or bills, and enter data in specific data fields or onto tapes or disks for subsequent entry, using keyboards or scanners.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: High school diploma. Overall preparation: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work is mostly indoors; it rewards working independently; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 2.2% of data entry keyers are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a data entry keyer make?
- The median pay is $19.88 per hour — roughly $41,500 a year, with the real range running from about $15.00/hr (10th percentile) to $28.26/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a data entry keyer?
- The typical entry-level education is: High school diploma. Overall preparation level: some preparation (Job Zone 2 of 5).
- What does a data entry keyer actually do all day?
- Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors. Compile, sort, and verify the accuracy of data before it is entered. Compare data with source documents, or re-enter data in verification format to detect errors.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.