According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a data entry clerk classified as a Data Entry Keyer (SOC 43-9021) earns a median wage of $19.88 per hour, or $41,350 per year, based on the May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) figures specified for this analysis.
The salary of a data entry clerk varies with location, industry, employer, employment type, experience, and technical skills. Pay differs in different states and cities because local labor demand, industry concentration, government employment, and cost of living affect the wages employers offer. This guide is intended for data entry clerk job seekers, career switchers, and employers comparing compensation or hiring costs.
Salary sources do not report identical figures for the data entry clerk job because they use different methodologies, job-title definitions, samples, update schedules, and compensation models. This article uses BLS OEWS as the primary benchmark because it provides standardized occupational wage data.
How Much Does a Data Entry Clerk Make?
A data entry clerk makes a median wage of $19.88 per hour, equivalent to $41,350 annually, according to the May 2025 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) benchmark used in this article.
Private salary aggregators provide useful comparison points but should not be treated as interchangeable with BLS occupational statistics. Indeed publishes salary estimates based on reported compensation and job-market data and updates its salary information on an ongoing basis; Glassdoor uses employee- and employer-reported compensation and likewise updates its estimates as new submissions arrive; ZipRecruiter derives its estimates from job-market and posting data that can change as listings change; and Payscale bases compensation information primarily on employee-reported salary data and periodically updates its market estimates. The exact figure shown by each platform therefore depends on its latest update date and methodology rather than the BLS OEWS definition alone.
The sources differ because “data entry clerk” can refer to several related jobs, whereas BLS assigns workers to a standardized occupational classification. Aggregators can include current job postings, self-reported salaries, bonuses, geographic adjustments, and related titles that BLS does not combine in the same way. For a consistent national benchmark, the BLS figure is the stronger starting point.
Average Hourly Pay for a Data Entry Clerk
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, a data entry clerk classified under SOC code 43-9021, Data Entry Keyers, earns a median hourly wage of $19.88.
The BLS wage distribution shows a broad range of earnings. At the 10th percentile, workers earn about $13.58 per hour ($28,250 annually), which is more typical of entry-level positions and lower-cost labor markets; at the 25th percentile, pay reaches $15.70 per hour ($32,660 annually). The 50th percentile, or median, is $19.88 per hour ($41,350 annually). At the 75th percentile, workers earn $22.13 per hour ($46,020 annually). At the 90th percentile, pay reaches $26.60 per hour ($55,330 annually), a level more commonly associated with experienced workers, specialized industries, or higher-paying labor markets. The distribution shows that location and occupational specialization can matter more than simply accumulating years under the same data-entry job title.
Average Annual, Monthly, and Weekly Pay
The average annual, monthly, and weekly pay of a data entry clerk is presented in the table below.
| Period | Mean | Median | Basis |
| Annual | $43,310 | $41,350 | 2,080 hours x hourly rate |
| Monthly | $3,609 | $3,446 | Annual / 12 months |
| Weekly | $833 | $795 | Annual / 52 weeks |
| Hourly | $20.82 | $19.88 | BLS OEWS straight-time gross |
These figures are gross, pre-tax amounts. The annual calculation assumes full-time employment for 2,080 hours per year, or 40 hours per week for 52 weeks. Actual take-home pay determines a data entry clerk’s salary after federal, state, and local taxes.
What Determines a Data Entry Clerk’s Salary?
The 4 main factors that determine a data entry clerk’s salary are location, industry, employer, and employment type. Experience and technical skills can influence earnings, but they often have less effect than changing the market or moving into a higher-value role.
The 4 factors that determine a data entry clerk’s salary are listed below.
- Location
- Industry
- Employer
- Employment Type
Location
Location changes pay because employers in different labor markets compete for workers under different economic conditions. Large metropolitan areas, government centers, and regions with concentrations of finance, healthcare, insurance, and other data-intensive employers can offer higher nominal wages. A higher wage does not automatically produce greater purchasing power because housing, transportation, healthcare, and other living expenses can cancel out part of the difference. A $24 hourly wage in an expensive metro may provide less disposable income than a $20 wage in a lower-cost market. Location should therefore be evaluated using both the wage and the local cost of living.
Industry
Industry affects pay because some employers handle more sensitive, regulated, or operationally important data than others. Finance, healthcare, government, and specialized professional services can pay more when the position involves compliance requirements, confidential records, or strict data-quality controls. Lower-paying industries often include general administrative services, basic retail operations, and other environments where data entry is one of many routine clerical duties. The gap exists because regulated environments can require greater accuracy, documentation, security, and accountability. A clerk handling protected health information or financial records may therefore work under a different compensation structure from someone entering routine retail information.
Employer
The employer can change compensation even when two positions have similar responsibilities. Government employers may offer standardized pay grades, stronger benefits, and more predictable progression, while private employers can vary substantially by company, industry, and location. Staffing agencies can offer quick access to temporary or contract assignments, but the worker may receive a different benefits package from a directly hired employee. Direct-hire positions may provide stronger long-term benefits even when their starting hourly rate is similar. The total compensation package matters because salary alone does not capture the value of health insurance, retirement contributions, paid leave, or job stability.
Employment Type
Employment type changes effective pay because full-time, part-time, contract, and temporary arrangements do not provide the same compensation structure. A contractor may receive a higher hourly rate while receiving no paid leave, employer-sponsored health insurance, or retirement contribution. A temporary worker may have a similar hourly wage to a permanent employee but fewer benefits or less predictable hours. Benefits eligibility can therefore create a larger real compensation gap than the difference in advertised hourly rates. These differences matter in different states because state employment rules, taxes, minimum wages, and benefits requirements can affect the total value of an arrangement.
Data Entry Clerk Salary by State
Data entry clerk salary by state means the compensation paid to workers in the occupation across individual U.S. state labor markets. State-level wages vary because of differences in local demand, industry mix, government employment, labor supply, and cost of living. BLS state OEWS data should be used for state comparisons because it applies a consistent occupational classification. A state with a high nominal wage is not necessarily the most affordable place to work. The ranking should therefore be interpreted alongside local economic conditions.
Highest-Paying States
The 5 top-paying states, according to the May 2025 BLS OEWS dataset for data entry clerk jobs, are listed below.
- Washington, D.C.: Data entry clerks in Washington, D.C., earn an average hourly wage of $26.31, equivalent to approximately $54,725 annually. Washington, D.C., ranks first because its large federal workforce and concentration of government agencies, contractors, lobbying firms, and nonprofit organizations create strong demand for accurate administrative data work. Government-related employers also tend to require reliable data processing for records, compliance, and public services. However, the District’s high housing and transportation costs can offset some of the purchasing-power advantage of its higher wages.
- Alaska: Data entry clerks in Alaska earn an average hourly wage of $25.74, translating to approximately $53,539 annually. Alaska’s high wages are influenced by its elevated cost of living, relatively small labor pool, and concentration of federal, state, and public-sector employment. With fewer data entry keyers than many larger states, employers may need to offer more competitive compensation to attract and retain qualified workers. The state’s geographic isolation can also contribute to higher operating and labor costs.
- California: Data entry keyers in California earn an average hourly wage of $24.46, corresponding to approximately $50,877 annually. California’s high data entry wages are supported by its large economy, expensive metropolitan areas, and strong demand across government, healthcare, technology, finance, and other administrative sectors. Major employment centers such as San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and Sacramento contribute to the state’s overall wage level. Higher living costs, particularly for housing, can reduce the purchasing-power advantage of these wages.
- Massachusetts: Data entry clerks in Massachusetts earn an average hourly wage of $24.23, which amounts to approximately $50,398 annually. Massachusetts ranks among the highest-paying locations because its healthcare, biotechnology, education, financial, and professional-services industries generate substantial demand for accurate data processing. Data entry workers may handle patient records, research information, financial documents, and other sensitive records that require attention to detail. The state’s relatively high labor costs also contribute to stronger average wages.
- New York: Data entry clerks in New York earn an average hourly wage of $23.94, translating to approximately $49,795 annually. New York’s strong wages are supported by its large financial, healthcare, government, insurance, and professional-services sectors, where accurate and compliance-sensitive data processing is essential. The New York metropolitan area also has one of the country’s largest concentrations of administrative workers, creating substantial demand for data entry professionals. High housing and living costs, particularly in New York City, can offset part of the state’s nominal wage advantage.
Lowest-Paying States
The lowest-paying states of the USA for a data entry clerk job should likewise be taken from the latest BLS OEWS state table.
- Mississippi: Data entry clerks in Mississippi earn an average hourly wage of $14.38, equivalent to approximately $29,910 annually. Mississippi ranks as the lowest-paying state due to its lower cost of living, which consistently places it at the bottom of national wage indexes across administrative support roles. The state’s economy relies heavily on agriculture, manufacturing, and lower-margin service industries, which caps the wage ceilings for clerical roles. While the nominal compensation is low, the purchasing power of these wages is partially buffered by the state’s highly affordable housing market and low consumer prices.
- Arkansas: Data entry keyers in Arkansas earn an average hourly wage of $14.92, translating to approximately $31,034 annually. The state’s rural economic profile and heavy concentration of employment in agriculture, retail, and local logistics dictate conservative corporate budgets for basic administrative workflows. Because much of the regional job growth occurs outside high-paying tech or specialized corporate sectors, entry-level data processing positions face lower wage pressure. However, like its neighbors, a low overall cost of living helps stretch the actual utility of these entry-level earnings.
- West Virginia: Data entry clerks in West Virginia earn an average hourly wage of $15.14, corresponding to approximately $31,491 annually. West Virginia’s geographic landscape and historically localized market dynamics contribute to lower baseline compensation for office and administrative support staff. A smaller concentration of major corporate headquarters or large-scale data processing hubs means that administrative workers face limited upward mobility or competitive salary bidding. On the plus side, affordable real estate across the state reduces the financial burden of living on an entry-level wage.
- Louisiana: Data entry keyers in Louisiana earn an average hourly wage of $15.35, which amounts to approximately $31,928 annually. Louisiana’s wage structure is largely shaped by a heavy reliance on the hospitality, tourism, and energy industries, leaving generic administrative and clerical fields with less competitive leverage. A large available labor pool for basic administrative tasks further removes the necessity for employers to offer premium pay rates outside major urban hubs like New Orleans or Baton Rouge. The state’s below-average cost of living helps mitigate the lower nominal hourly rate.
- Oklahoma: Data entry keyers in Oklahoma earn an average hourly wage of $15.60, translating to approximately $32,448 annually. While Oklahoma features a diverse mix of aerospace, energy, and logistics businesses, its overall wage floor remains modest compared to national standards. Because the state’s regional businesses operate with lower overhead costs and minimal local tax strains, clerical and data processing salaries scale accordingly. Workers in this position benefit from cheap utilities and a highly accessible housing index, which softens the impact of a smaller paycheck.
Lower wages commonly reflect lower local labor costs, a larger supply of entry-level clerical workers, lower industry concentration, or fewer high-paying employers. A lower nominal salary can still provide reasonable purchasing power in a low-cost market. Workers should compare the wage with housing and transportation costs in different cities before deciding where to relocate.
Data Entry Clerk Salary by City
Data entry clerk salary by city means the compensation available to workers in a particular metropolitan labor market rather than across an entire state. Higher-paying metros tend to combine strong employer demand with government, finance, healthcare, or professional-services employment, while lower-paying metros generally have lower labor costs and fewer specialized employers. A remote position can blur the geographic relationship because an employer may set pay using a national, regional, or location-based compensation policy.
Remote Data Entry Clerk Salary
Remote data entry clerk salary is between $28,250 and $58,790 annually, based on the national 10th-to-90th percentile range reported in the May 2025 BLS OEWS data for Data Entry Keyers. Remote jobs may pay less, the same, or more than on-site positions depending on employer location, productivity requirements, security requirements, and the compensation policy.
Aggregator “remote” figures often mirror the national average because remote postings can be pooled across many locations rather than calculated from a dedicated remote wage survey. A legitimate remote listing should identify the employer, job responsibilities, hiring process, compensation structure, and any equipment or training requirements rather than promising unusually high earnings for entry-level work. Never pay an employer for a job, deposit a check and send money back, purchase gift cards, or provide sensitive financial information before verifying the company and offer.
Data-entry work is frequently used in online employment scams because the duties sound simple and can be advertised to people with little experience. Be suspicious of recruiters who contact you through unsolicited messages, guarantee unusually high pay for routine work, require upfront fees, or ask you to move money through your personal bank account. Verify the vacancy on the company’s official careers page and confirm that the recruiter uses a legitimate company email address.
Entry-Level Data Entry Clerk Salary
Entry-level data entry clerk salary starts at approximately $28,250 annually (the 10th percentile), based on May 2025 BLS OEWS data for Data Entry Keyers. An applicant with no experience may start near the lower end, while an applicant with strong typing accuracy, spreadsheet skills, and relevant administrative experience may qualify for a higher starting rate. Government employers and large regulated companies can offer more structured entry pay and benefits, while staffing agencies may offer faster access to temporary work. The actual starting data entry clerk salary rate depends on location, employer, schedule, industry, and the responsibilities attached to the position.
Does Experience Increase a Data Entry Clerk’s Salary?
No, experience alone does not reliably increase a data entry clerk’s salary enough to create a strong career progression within the same job title. The available salary ranges show a relatively limited ceiling for routine data-entry work, and reported experience-based estimates from aggregators should not be interpreted as a guaranteed progression from entry-level to high earnings.
A worker can spend 8 or more years entering data without receiving a proportionate salary increase if the responsibilities, employer, and occupation remain essentially unchanged. The stronger pay increases usually come from changing the title, moving into a higher-paying industry, or adding technical skills such as advanced Excel, database administration, reporting, quality control, or automation. The qualifications of a data entry clerk therefore matter most when they help the worker move into a role with greater responsibility and market value. Experience becomes financially valuable when it is converted into broader skills or a higher-value occupation rather than simply accumulated under the same title.
What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Data Entry Clerk?
Qualifications you need to be a data entry clerk include education, typing proficiency, software knowledge, and optional certifications.
The qualifications you need to be a data entry clerk are listed below.
- Education: A high school diploma or equivalent is the normal baseline for many data-entry positions. Employers may focus more heavily on accuracy, reliability, and computer skills than on a college degree.
- Typing speed and accuracy: Job postings should be checked for the employer’s specific requirements because standards vary. Some current postings request typing speeds around 40–60 words per minute (WPM) while emphasizing accuracy, so applicants should use live postings rather than relying on a universal WPM threshold.
- Software and systems: Common requirements include Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Google Workspace, database or customer-management systems, and data-entry interfaces. Employers may test spreadsheet formulas, keyboard accuracy, record matching, or attention to detail.
- Certifications: Certifications are optional for many entry-level positions, but training in Excel, Microsoft Office, data management, or a specific industry system can strengthen an application. Certification is most useful when it demonstrates a practical skill that appears in the employer’s job description.
These requirements help determine whether the job is worth it for a particular applicant because the easiest way to increase long-term earning potential is often to use the position as a starting point for more technical or specialized work.
Is Being a Data Entry Clerk Worth It?
Yes, being a data entry clerk can be worth it as an entry point, but it is less attractive as a long-term career if pay remains close to the routine clerical wage range. The occupation faces long-term pressure from declining demand, digitization, optical character recognition (OCR), workflow automation, and AI-based document processing, while household affordability depends heavily on location.
The job still makes sense for people who need accessible work, a flexible schedule, office experience, or a path into administrative, operations, healthcare, finance, customer support, or technical roles. A realistic career strategy is to build spreadsheet, database, reporting, quality-control, or industry-specific skills while working in the position. The strongest outcome is therefore to treat data entry as an entry point and use the experience to move into a higher-value role rather than relying on routine data entry indefinitely.
Data Entry Clerk Salary Outside the United States
Data entry clerk salaries outside the United States range from $1,500 to $8,000 annually in offshore markets and $25,000 to $40,000 annually in developed economies such as the United Kingdom and Western Europe. International rates vary widely because the cost of living and currency purchasing power are the main drivers.
A US data entry clerk earning $41,340 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025 median) lives at a different standard than a Philippine clerk earning $6,000 annually because local prices for housing, food, and services are proportionally lower.
United Kingdom and UAE
In the United Kingdom, data entry clerks earn GBP 27,066 to GBP 30,762 annually. In Dubai and the broader UAE, data entry clerks earn AED 2,841 to AED 3,943 per month. The UAE market is different than offshore markets because Dubai positions serve multinational corporations with higher compliance standards and English-language requirements. These rates exclude housing allowances and transportation stipends that UAE employers bundle into total compensation packages.
Philippines, Kenya, and Other Offshore Markets
In the Philippines, data entry clerks earn PHP 27,000 to PHP 37,000 monthly, and in Kenya, they earn KES 100 to KES 197 per hour. Typical monthly rates in offshore markets range from $300 to $600 USD, while hourly rates span $1.50 to $4.00. These markets dominate offshore data entry because of large English-speaking workforces, established business process outsourcing infrastructure, and time-zone compatibility with Western clients. The wage covers basic labor only; a US hire at $43,310 annually costs 7 to 12 times more than an offshore clerk when salary alone is compared.
Hourly Wage vs. Fully Loaded Cost
The difference between hourly wage and fully loaded cost is that the hourly wage is only the base rate paid to the worker, while the fully loaded cost includes all employer expenditures required to maintain that worker in the role. For a data entry clerk earning $20.82 per hour ($43,310 annually), the fully loaded cost to the employer is approximately $58,000 to $65,000 annually.
The fully loaded cost explains why the posted rate understates the real number. An employer budgeting $43,310 for a data entry clerk will spend $58,000 to $65,000 in cash. This gap drives outsourcing decisions: a US employer can pay an offshore provider $8,000 to $12,000 annually per seat, including management overhead, and eliminate payroll taxes, benefits, and workspace costs.
What Does a Data Entry Clerk Cost an Employer?
A data entry clerk costs an employer $56,300 to $60,600 annually when fully loaded, not the $43,310 base salary, more than the employee’s advertised hourly wage, because payroll taxes, benefits, equipment, management, recruitment, and other overhead increase the fully loaded cost. The main add-on cost categories are payroll taxes, benefits, equipment, workspace, and recruitment. The posted rate of $19.88 per hour understates the real number because job postings advertise base wages, not total cost-to-company.
Outsourcing cost comparisons must include the fully loaded domestic rate against offshore alternatives to calculate true savings. Data entry clerk salary benchmarks determine a data entry clerk’s salary negotiation floor, but determining factors of data entry clerk salary, such as location and industry, push the employer’s actual cost higher.