Career profile · 43-9021
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 the work can involve
- 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.
Selected core tasks from O*NET 31.0. Responsibilities vary by employer, specialization and experience.
Preparation and entry routes
This broad O*NET group commonly involves some prior preparation and on-the-job learning. Check the specific employer, occupational credential and state requirements.
Check the route for the specific occupation where you plan to work. Education, employer experience requirements, occupational licensing and industry certification can be separate steps.
Understand the different credentials →Skills used in this occupation
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Knowledge to build
- English Language
- Administrative
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Public Safety and Security
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Common work activities
- Working with Computers
- Processing Information
- Documenting/Recording Information
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
- Getting Information
Selected from the highest importance ratings available in O*NET 31.0. These describe the occupation, not a particular school's curriculum.
Training subjects to investigate
The federal education-to-occupation crosswalk connects this role to the subjects below. These links do not endorse a school or guarantee that any particular award qualifies a graduate for the job.
Working conditions to consider
These are the most common published responses to selected O*NET work-setting questions. They describe occupation-level survey findings, not every employer or a particular job.
| Work-setting question | Most common response | Share giving that response |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed to Contaminants | Never | 77.8%08/2018 · sample 18 |
| Exposed to Disease or Infections | Never | 88.8%08/2018 · sample 19 |
| Exposed to Hazardous Conditions | Never | 100.0%08/2018 · sample 19 |
| Spend Time Sitting | Continually or almost continually | 92.8%08/2018 · sample 19 |
| Spend Time Standing | Never | 54.3%08/2018 · sample 19 |
| Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls | Never | 46.6%08/2018 · sample 19 |
| Time Pressure | Every day | 55.9%08/2018 · sample 19 |
| Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets | Never | 100.0%08/2018 · sample 19 |
| Work Schedules | Regular (established routine, set schedule) | 78.5%08/2018 · sample 19 |
O*NET 31.0 Work Context, selected topics. Only unsuppressed source responses with sample size at least 10 are shown. A most-common response need not be a majority. Sampling uncertainty applies; source dates vary. Ask employers about actual schedules, accessibility, protective equipment and working conditions.
Software used in the workplace
Use these O*NET examples to ask how a course builds practical digital skills. They are workplace examples, not a required shopping list or confirmation of a school’s curriculum.
- Accounting software: Intuit QuickBooks, Sage 50 Accounting
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Google Drive
- Customer relationship management CRM software: Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge, Salesforce.com Salesforce CRM
- Data base user interface and query software: Data entry software, Database software, FileMaker Pro, IBM Informix
- Document management software: Perceptive Software Intelligent Capture
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software: Jenzabar ERP, Microsoft Dynamics, Microsoft Dynamics GP, SAP software
- Medical software: Electronic medical record EMR software, Healthcare common procedure coding system HCPCS, Medical condition coding software, Medical procedure coding software
- Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
- Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
- Video conferencing software: FaceTime
Selected categories and examples from O*NET 31.0 Software Skills. Products and employer requirements change. These examples are not endorsements; check the complete official occupation profile.
Pay & employment outlook
Salary estimates for data entry keyers
The median divides workers into two equally sized groups by pay. It is not a starting salary, a school’s graduate outcome or a promise of employment. Lower percentiles are not automatically new graduates.
National outlook: 2025–2035
- Typical education for entry
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- Typical on-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
BLS national employment projections, 2025–2035. Openings include people leaving occupations or the labor force; these are not advertised vacancies. Education categories describe typical entry, not legal eligibility or a guarantee that any specific program is sufficient.
Compare wages across 51 state/DC estimates
| State | Annual median | Hourly median | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,130 | $16.89 | 1,060 |
| Alaska | $40,700 | $19.57 | 160 |
| Arizona | $43,200 | $20.77 | 3,420 |
| Arkansas | $33,860 | $16.28 | 1,000 |
| California | $47,010 | $22.60 | 14,520 |
| Colorado | $43,910 | $21.11 | 1,190 |
| Connecticut | $38,560 | $18.54 | 1,290 |
| Delaware | $37,810 | $18.18 | 410 |
| District of Columbia | $55,170 | $26.53 | 200 |
| Florida | $38,880 | $18.69 | 7,650 |
| Georgia | $41,270 | $19.84 | 3,410 |
| Hawaii | $47,630 | $22.90 | 210 |
| Idaho | $42,810 | $20.58 | 540 |
| Illinois | $42,840 | $20.60 | 5,910 |
| Indiana | $40,550 | $19.50 | 2,370 |
| Iowa | $43,640 | $20.98 | 1,180 |
| Kansas | $38,290 | $18.41 | 1,210 |
| Kentucky | $36,870 | $17.72 | 2,020 |
| Louisiana | $36,920 | $17.75 | 1,800 |
| Maine | $48,190 | $23.17 | 140 |
| Maryland | $38,970 | $18.74 | 1,850 |
| Massachusetts | $47,560 | $22.87 | 1,590 |
| Michigan | $38,080 | $18.31 | 3,290 |
| Minnesota | $44,280 | $21.29 | 1,360 |
| Mississippi | $34,540 | $16.61 | 530 |
| Missouri | Not published | Not published | 2,720 |
| Montana | $42,340 | $20.35 | 300 |
| Nebraska | $39,600 | $19.04 | 1,260 |
| Nevada | $39,260 | $18.88 | 800 |
| New Hampshire | $43,440 | $20.88 | 790 |
| New Jersey | $42,470 | $20.42 | 4,940 |
| New Mexico | $49,810 | $23.95 | 300 |
| New York | $44,860 | $21.57 | 9,470 |
| North Carolina | $39,610 | $19.04 | 3,330 |
| North Dakota | $48,300 | $23.22 | 110 |
| Ohio | $40,220 | $19.34 | 4,530 |
| Oklahoma | $38,590 | $18.55 | 1,290 |
| Oregon | Not published | Not published | 1,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,810 | $18.66 | 5,270 |
| Rhode Island | $44,980 | $21.63 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $38,070 | $18.30 | 1,490 |
| South Dakota | $34,320 | $16.50 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $40,490 | $19.47 | 2,360 |
| Texas | $38,880 | $18.69 | 17,850 |
| Utah | $47,180 | $22.68 | 2,140 |
| Vermont | $43,280 | $20.81 | 290 |
| Virginia | $38,900 | $18.70 | 2,890 |
| Washington | $47,480 | $22.83 | 1,360 |
| West Virginia | $35,900 | $17.26 | 660 |
| Wisconsin | $38,170 | $18.35 | 2,360 |
| Wyoming | $45,870 | $22.06 | 140 |
Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan wages
Search the 406 published local-area estimates for this occupation. Metropolitan areas can cross state lines; a city’s postal name is not necessarily the statistical area’s name.
Sources: BLS May 2025 OEWS public downloads and 2025–2035 employment projections, retrieved September 9, 2026. Unpublished estimates stay unavailable. “+” means BLS’s upper reporting threshold ($239,200 annually or $115 hourly). Wages exclude self-employment and nonwage benefits. How to interpret these figures.
Compare the route and prepare for work
Questions to test the fit
- What does an entry-level working day look like, and how does it differ from the experienced role described here?
- Which tasks, work environments and schedules would I enjoy or find difficult?
- What education, supervised practice and credentials do local employers actually request?
- Can I speak with someone in the occupation or arrange a suitable workplace visit?
- How does the complete training cost compare with my realistic budget and available routes?
Sources and attribution
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 CC BY 4.0. Trade School Guides selects and organizes the material and adds explanatory guidance. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. Occupation code: 43-9021.00.
Training connections: CIP 2020–SOC 2018 crosswalk. Snapshot: September 8, 2026. See the methodology.