Career
Data entry keyers
Enter data into systems accurately and quickly.
Here's what you actually need to know.
The work
What people in this job 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.
The outlook
How the forecast changed this year
AI
BLS now cites artificial intelligence in this occupation's outlook: “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).”
The deeper question
What kind of person does this path ask you to become?
What this work centers on
O*NET interest profile, scored 1–7.
The work
Do you want most of your days spent on information & systems, then objects & tools?
Responsibility
Are you willing to be the one responsible for this?
“Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors.”
Development
What would you need to build over the next 5–10 years?
Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring, Writing.
Trade-offs
What does it ask of you in exchange?
No degree beyond high school, though short-term on-the-job training is typical, for a median of $41,340 a year and 7,700 openings nationally each year.
Paths in
Degrees that lead here
- Graphic and Printing Equipment Operator, General ProductionCIP 10.0305
- Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications, GeneralCIP 11.0601
- Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data EntryCIP 52.0407
Paths across
Careers that use similar skills
- File Clerks$43,600 · -15.8%
- Word Processors and Typists$49,280 · -34.4%
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer$40,960 · -14.9%
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service$39,280 · -7.2%
- Office Clerks, General$45,010 · -6.0%
Ask anything about this career.
“Would this make sense if I don't want to sit at a desk all day?” Answers will come from the sources on this page, with citations. Coming soon.
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Sources
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2024–34 (archived), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- O*NET 31.0 Database (August 2026), National Center for O*NET Development / U.S. Department of Labor. Retrieved 2026-10-01.
- CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk, NCES and BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-01.