Data Entry Clerk job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

5

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 1-2 of 5

very little to some preparation

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$41,340

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Data Entry Keyers (O*NET-SOC 43-9021.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors. importance 4.8 of 5
2. Compile, sort, and verify the accuracy of data before it is entered. importance 4.7 of 5
3. Compare data with source documents, or re-enter data in verification format to detect errors. importance 4.5 of 5
4. Store completed documents in appropriate locations. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Select materials needed to complete work assignments. importance 4.4 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Working with Computers, Processing Information, Documenting/Recording Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates and Getting Information.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• 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.
• Maintain logs of activities and completed work.
• Load machines with required input or output media, such as paper, cards, disks, tape, or Braille media.
• Resolve garbled or indecipherable messages, using cryptographic procedures and equipment.

Knowledge areas: English Language, Administrative, Customer and Personal Service and Law and Government.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Intuit QuickBooks. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 1-2 of 5 (very little to some preparation). Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board.

Job title: Data Entry Clerk
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Data Entry Clerk to operate data entry device, such as keyboard or photo composing perforator.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will 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.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in reading comprehension, active listening and monitoring
- Working knowledge of English Language and Administrative
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Office software]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $41,340 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $19.88. BLS estimates about 127,080 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Data Entry Keyers to decline 25.5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 7,700 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full data entry clerk salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real data entry clerk posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only data entry clerk work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (reading comprehension and active listening).