Office and Administrative Support · Holland code CR

Data Entry Keyers

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

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

O*NET 43-9021.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $41,340; Middle half earn $35,760 to $48,410. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED); 59% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 2 of 5; Some preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

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.
Read source documents such as canceled checks, sales reports, or bills, and enter data in specific data fields or onto tapes or disks for subsequent entry, using keyboards or scanners.
Store completed documents in appropriate locations.
Select materials needed to complete work assignments.
Maintain logs of activities and completed work.
Load machines with required input or output media, such as paper, cards, disks, tape, or Braille media.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Reading Comprehension3.6 / 5
Active Listening3.4 / 5
Monitoring3.3 / 5
Writing3.0 / 5
Speaking2.9 / 5
Critical Thinking2.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

English Language4.8 / 5
Administrative4.6 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.6 / 5
Law and Government3.5 / 5
Public Safety and Security2.9 / 5
Mathematics2.9 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic34
Investigative22
Artistic0
Social3
Enterprising11
Conventional100

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

data entry supervisor · DE Datenerfassungsleiter/Datenerfassungsleiterin · FR superviseur à la saisie des données/superviseuse à la saisie des données
medical transcriptionist · DE medizinische Schreibkraft · FR audiotypiste médical/audiotypiste médicale
secretary · DE Sekretär/Sekretärin · FR secrétaire
typist · DE Textypist/Textypistin · FR dactylographe
data entry clerk · DE Datentypist/Datentypistin · FR opérateur de saisie de données/opératrice de saisie de données
proofreader · DE Korrekturleser/Korrekturleserin · FR correcteur/correctrice

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Customer service managers (4143)106,200 employed
Customer service supervisors (7220)40,100 employed
Health care practice managers (1231)27,200 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Clerical support workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Clerical support workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,035
Austria	€38,296
Germany	€37,844
Netherlands	€35,854
Sweden	€33,483
Ireland	€32,144
Italy	€29,311
France	€25,943
Spain	€22,026
Portugal	€12,602
Poland	€10,250

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the middle third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of +0.31. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (43-9021).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test