Office and Administrative Support Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 43-9021

Data Entry Keyers

Median pay sits 29% below the mid peer in Office and Administrative Support Occupations (neighbors include Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants, Proofreaders and Copy Markers, Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks, First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Data Entry Keyers: Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants ($77K) , Proofreaders and Copy Markers ($51K) , Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks ($58K) , First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers ($70K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Data Entry Keyers publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 43-9021 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors
  2. 2. Compile, sort, and verify the accuracy of data before it is entered
  3. 3. Compare data with source documents, or re-enter data in verification format to detect errors
  4. 4. Read source documents such as canceled checks, sales reports, or bills, and enter data in specific data fields or onto tapes or disks for…
  5. 5. Store completed documents in appropriate locations
  6. 6. Select materials needed to complete work assignments
  7. 7. Maintain logs of activities and completed work
  8. 8. Load machines with required input or output media, such as paper, cards, disks, tape, or Braille media
  9. 9. Resolve garbled or indecipherable messages, using cryptographic procedures and equipment

Data Entry Keyers: O*NET ranks Reading Comprehension first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 43-9021 - lead skill Reading Comprehension at 3.6 ; lead knowledge English Language. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Reading Comprehension 3.6
  2. 2. Active Listening 3.4
  3. 3. Monitoring 3.3
  4. 4. Writing 3.0
  5. 5. Time Management 3.0
  6. 6. Speaking 2.9
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 2.9
  8. 8. Complex Problem Solving 2.9

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. English Language 4.8
  2. 2. Administrative 4.6
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 3.6
  4. 4. Law and Government 3.5
  5. 5. Public Safety and Security 2.9
  6. 6. Mathematics 2.9
Pay vs Office and Administrative Support Occupations peers
-29%
vs mid peer median $58,260
This role $41,340/yr
$41K
National median
↓ -26%
Growth 2024-2034
9,500
Annual openings
127,080
Estimated US jobs
Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants
Highest-pay peer · $77K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education High school diploma or equivalent

Top Paying States for Data Entry Keyers

1. California $47,010
2. Maine $48,190
3. Washington $47,480
4. Massachusetts $47,560
5. Wyoming $45,870
6. New Mexico $49,810
7. Hawaii $47,630
8. North Dakota $48,300
9. District of Columbia $55,170
10. Utah $47,180

Other Office and Administrative Support Occupations titles

  1. 1. Proofreaders and Copy Markers $51,120
  2. 2. Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants $76,590
  3. 3. Payroll and Timekeeping Clerks $58,260
  4. 4. First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $69,500
  5. 5. Eligibility Interviewers, Government Programs $54,210
  6. 6. Financial Clerks, All Other $53,830

Among Office and Administrative Support Occupations peers on this card, Data Entry Keyers sits 29% below the mid peer median ($58,260). Its own median is $41,340.

Employment Projections expect -26% change between 2024 and 2034 (declining vs baseline 3.1%). About 9,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: California at $47,010. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants at $76,590. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Data Entry Keyers pay-rank #46 in Office and Administrative Support Occupations

On the Office and Administrative Support Occupations median table (54 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Data Entry Keyers lands at #46, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 43-9021 · national median $41,340 · lower third of Office and Administrative Support Occupations (#46/54). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Data Entry Keyers salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 43-9021

California · top state for Data Entry Keyers

$47K published median

Maine · #2 state pay

$48K · behind California

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants

Highest-pay peer vs Data Entry Keyers · $77K

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

Lower-pay peer beside Data Entry Keyers · $51K

Compare Data Entry Keyers

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Data Entry Keyers with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Data Entry Keyers

Against another occupation

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Data Entry Keyers land on the Office and Administrative Support Occupations median table? ▼
Data Entry Keyers is pay-rank #46 of 54 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Office Machine Operators, Except Computer ($41K), Telephone Operators ($42K), Tellers ($43K), Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service ($39K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do data entry keyers do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Data Entry Keyers. Leading ones include: 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…. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for data entry keyers? ▼
For SOC 43-9021, O*NET importance scores lead with Reading Comprehension (3.6), Active Listening (3.4), Monitoring (3.3), Writing (3.0). Knowledge areas emphasize English Language, Administrative, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Data Entry Keyers? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $41,340 as the national median for Data Entry Keyers. The published 10th-90th range is $31,200 to $58,790. Beside Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants ($76,590), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Data Entry Keyers? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Data Entry Keyers is -26%. Projected annual openings: about 9,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: declining.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Data Entry Keyers? ▼
BLS assigns High school diploma or equivalent as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Data Entry Keyers. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Data Entry Keyers? ▼
California ($47,010), Maine ($48,190), Washington ($47,480) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Data Entry Keyers card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 43-9021. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Data Entry Keyers. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics