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Data Entry Clerk
Office & AdminYou type numbers and text into databases all day, which sounds simple until you realize the source documents are handwritten, the system crashes every 45 minutes, and one typo in a Social Security number ruins someone's entire life. Your typing speed is your resume, your accuracy is your reputation, and your back will hate you by Friday.
Salary Range
Low
$26k
Median
$36k
High
$48k
10-Year Growth
slower than average
US Workers
152K
Education
High school diploma + fast, accurate typing (usually 60+ WPM minimum)
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Keyboarding (60+ WPM with high accuracy)
- ▸Data entry software and database systems
- ▸Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets
- ▸Optical character recognition (OCR) tools
- ▸10-key numeric data entry
- ▸Records management systems
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸Attention to detail
- ▸Concentration and focus
- ▸Reliability
- ▸Self-discipline
- ▸Accuracy under time pressure
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
Data entry software and database systems
Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets
What you'll actually do
- 01Enter data from paper forms, emails, and PDFs into systems that look like they were built in 2003
- 02Verify entries against source documents because one misplaced decimal can cost thousands
- 03Meet daily keystroke quotas that treat you less like a person and more like a human scanner
- 04Flag discrepancies in source data and wait for someone to tell you which version is correct
- 05Stare at a screen for 8 hours while your wrists slowly file a workers' comp claim on your behalf
Related Shifts
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