How to become a Data Entry Keyer

Official title: Data Entry Keyers

Also called: Data Capture Specialist, Data Entry Clerk, Data Entry Machine Operator, Data Entry Operator, Data Entry Specialist, Data Transcriber, Records Clerk, Underwriting Support Specialist

Operate data entry device, such as keyboard or photo composing perforator. Duties may include verifying data and preparing materials for printing.

Main tasks

• 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.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Photocomposing-Perforat-Ma.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $41,340 a year The middle half earn $35,760 to $48,410.
• About 131,800 people work in this job now, and about 98,200 are projected by 2035. (-25.5%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Related jobs

• Word Processors and Typists
• Desktop Publishers
• Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
• Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service
• Office Clerks, General
• Office Machine Operators, Except Computer

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Data Entry Keyer?

Ways in include: Photocomposing-Perforat-Ma.

How much does a Data Entry Keyer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $41,340 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $35,760 to $48,410.

Is a Data Entry Keyer a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to fall 25% by 2035, from about 131,800 to about 98,200 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Data Entry Keyer?

Not always. 26% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Photocomposing-Perforat-Ma.

Will AI change the work of a Data Entry Keyer?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

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 the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.