Data Entry Keyers Salary: $48,227 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 135,280 data entry keyers nationally earn a mean of $48,227. Employment in the series shown fell about 15% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 4.4% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Data Entry Keyers: what the data shows
Common questions about data entry keyers careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a data entry keyers?
Data Entry Keyers is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 43-9021.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 135,280 workers.
What does a data entry keyers do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Processing Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a data entry keyers make?
BLS national median annual wage: $39,850 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $48,227 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,051 |
| 25th percentile | $40,535 |
| Median (50th) | $46,664 |
| 75th percentile | $54,203 |
| 90th percentile | $61,374 |
What education do you need?
For Data Entry Keyers, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring, Writing, Time Management, Complex Problem Solving, and knowledge areas including English Language, Administrative, Customer and Personal Service, Law and Government. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is data entry keyers in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 4.4% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -20.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -36.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 135,280.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do data entry keyerss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 135,280 | 18.5% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 121,030 | 16.5% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 24,290 | 3.3% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 24,290 | 3.3% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 23,730 | 3.2% |
| Administrative and Support Services | 23,420 | 3.2% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Data Entry Keyers in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Word Processors and Typists | 36,030 | $47,850 |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,510,550 | $43,630 |
| Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators | 111,930 | $56,530 |
| Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | 229,070 | $48,450 |
| Computer Hardware Engineers | 75,710 | $155,020 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | 53,520 | $60,800 |
| Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Technical and Scientific Products | 293,930 | $100,070 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Data Entry Keyers workforce.
Employment Over Time
135,280 Workforce in 2023
The Data Entry Keyers workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Data Entry Keyers.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$48,227 Average Wage
In 2023, Data Entry Keyers earned an average of $48,227.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Data Entry Keyers.
Salary distribution for Data Entry Keyers.
Employment Growth Projections
-4.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
43,684 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -20.3%
34,836 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -36.4%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Data Entry Keyers.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Data Entry Keyers and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Data Entry Keyers employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Data Entry Keyers.
Wage Trends by Industry
-6.6% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Data Entry Keyers.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Data Entry Keyers.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 19,950 employees, $38,980 avg wage
- CA: 14,040 employees, $47,210 avg wage
- NY: 9,890 employees, $45,770 avg wage
- FL: 9,280 employees, $39,620 avg wage
- PA: 7,350 employees, $41,760 avg wage
- IL: 6,680 employees, $42,050 avg wage
- OH: 5,450 employees, $41,120 avg wage
- NJ: 5,240 employees, $44,850 avg wage
- NC: 4,110 employees, $39,720 avg wage
- AZ: 3,750 employees, $44,070 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Data Entry Keyers.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 11,000 employees, $46,400 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 6,070 employees, $47,380 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 5,620 employees, $39,690 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 5,310 employees, $42,230 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 4,870 employees, $42,840 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 2,980 employees, $44,680 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 2,780 employees, $41,970 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 2,600 employees, $41,390 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 2,170 employees, $38,810 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 1,990 employees, $46,820 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Data Entry Keyers.
Diversity
Demographic information on Data Entry Keyers in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Data Entry Keyers in 2023 was 135,280 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Data Entry Keyers.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Data Entry Keyers.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Data Entry Keyers.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Data Entry Keyers in 2023 were Business Administration, Business, Social Sciences.
Common majors for Data Entry Keyers.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Data Entry Keyers workers.
Education level distribution for Data Entry Keyers.
Skills
Data Entry Keyers need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring, Writing, Time Management.
Required skills for Data Entry Keyers.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Data Entry Keyers.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Data Entry Keyers include English Language, Administrative, Customer and Personal Service, Law and Government, Public Safety and Security.
Knowledge areas required for Data Entry Keyers.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Data Entry Keyers include Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Finger Dexterity, Perceptual Speed, Oral Comprehension.
Required abilities for Data Entry Keyers.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Data Entry Keyers.
Daily Activities
Data Entry Keyers spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Processing Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Getting Information.
Most important work activities for Data Entry Keyers.
About
Data Entry Keyers
The average yearly wage for Data Entry Keyers was $48,227 in 2023.
SOC Code
43-9021 - Data Entry Keyers
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Data Entry Keyers reports an average salary of $48,227.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 135,280 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -4.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.