Office Support · Data entry hiring
Fast typists are easy to find; clerks who catch a transposed account number before it reaches your system are not, so the best screen is a short test on your own documents. Careerscape is a national staffing and recruiting agency with a remote team, and its recruiters for office support roles screen data entry candidates for accuracy, systems and the kind of records you handle.
Know the work
"Data entry" covers very different source material. Name the records and the system in your posting, because a clerk who is quick in a CRM may be slow and error-prone in a claims screen full of codes.
| Type of work | Typical source documents | Systems often listed | What to screen for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and accounts payable | Invoices, checks, sales reports, bills | QuickBooks, Sage 50, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics | Numeric accuracy on the keypad; matching totals back to the source |
| Medical and claims | Intake forms, claims, charts | EMR software, HCPCS and other coding lookups | Comfort with codes and patient identifiers; privacy training |
| CRM and donor records | Sign-up forms, call notes, event lists | Salesforce, Blackbaud Raiser's Edge | Duplicate checking and consistent formatting of names and addresses |
| Records and database cleanup | Paper files, scanned images, legacy exports | Microsoft Access, FileMaker Pro, Excel, document capture tools | Judgment on unreadable or conflicting entries; knowing when to flag rather than guess |
System names come from O*NET's technology list for data entry keyers. Your stack may differ; list it exactly in the posting. Source: O*NET OnLine, Data Entry Keyers (43-9021.00).
Screening
A generic typing test tells you words per minute on prose. Your clerk will spend the day on numbers, codes and messy handwriting. Build the test from the work.
Pull a sample of real invoices, forms or records, remove anything confidential, and include one or two that are hard to read or missing a field.
Count wrong digits, skipped fields and misplaced decimals first. Speed only matters once accuracy is acceptable, since every error costs someone time downstream.
A strong clerk flags the illegible date or the mismatched total instead of guessing. O*NET lists locating and correcting errors, or reporting them to supervisors, as a core task.
Ask how they confirm their own work. Comparing entries against the source, or re-entering in a verification pass, is standard practice for this occupation.
For finance and claims work, include a numeric section entered on the 10-key pad, not the top row of the keyboard.
"Proficient in Microsoft Office" says little. Ask which screens, ERP or CRM they used and what they entered there.
Template
Edit the bracketed parts, name your systems and record types, and state whether the role is on site, hybrid or remote.
We are hiring a data entry clerk to enter, verify and maintain [type of records] in [system]. The right person is accurate, steady with repetitive work and comfortable raising questions when a source document does not add up.
Pay
These are national BLS wages for data entry keyers, the occupation that matches this role directly.
Middle half of all workers (25th to 75th percentile)
The national median is $41,340. Entry-level clerks doing straightforward keying sit near the 25th percentile ($35,760). Clerks with system experience in medical claims or ERP finance screens, or who also handle verification and cleanup, tend to price toward the 75th percentile ($48,410). If your offer sits below the 25th percentile, expect a thin applicant pool outside the lowest-cost metros. Annual pay, all U.S. employers, BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), occupation: Data Entry Keyers. Pay by level and city: Data Entry Clerk salary guide.
Outlook
BLS projects employment of data entry keyers to decline over the next decade. Openings still come up each year as people retire or move into other office roles. Where software already handles routine keying, the work left for a person is mostly checking, fixing exceptions and cleaning up records, which is why the screening above favors judgment over speed.
National figures for Data Entry Keyers, as published on O*NET OnLine.
Metros
Local BLS figures for the 29 metros we track: jobs, median pay, pay versus the U.S. and how concentrated the occupation is.
| Market | Jobs | Median pay · vs. U.S. | Concentration |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York City | 10,110 | $45,350+10% | 1.30 |
| Los Angeles | 5,900 | $47,040+14% | 1.15 |
| Dallas | 5,610 | $43,110+4% | 1.70 |
| Houston | 4,430 | $39,520−4% | 1.65 |
| Chicago | 4,270 | $44,650+8% | 1.16 |
| Phoenix | 2,650 | $44,160+7% | 1.37 |
| Philadelphia | 2,340 | $41,280±0% | 0.99 |
| Miami | 2,290 | $40,160−3% | 0.99 |
| Atlanta | 1,810 | $43,610+5% | 0.77 |
| Washington, DC | 1,620 | $42,840+4% | 0.63 |
| Boston | 1,460 | $47,640+15% | 0.66 |
| Tampa | 1,460 | $38,510−7% | 1.24 |
| San Francisco | 1,410 | $51,250+24% | 0.73 |
| Austin | 1,290 | $41,820+1% | 1.22 |
| Detroit | 1,120 | $40,210−3% | 0.72 |
| San Diego | 1,020 | $43,770+6% | 0.81 |
| Pittsburgh | 930 | $38,710−6% | 1.02 |
| Minneapolis | 920 | $46,320+12% | 0.58 |
| Portland | 880 | $42,760+3% | 0.89 |
| Baltimore | 860 | $38,340−7% | 0.78 |
| Seattle | 760 | $47,000+14% | 0.45 |
| Nashville | 760 | $44,490+8% | 0.85 |
| Hartford | 710 | $34,160−17% | 1.44 |
| Denver | 680 | $44,910+9% | 0.52 |
| Charlotte | 650 | $41,630+1% | 0.59 |
| Raleigh-Durham | 520 | $45,620+10% | 0.86 |
| Albany | 450 | $39,840−4% | 1.22 |
| Buffalo | 410 | $41,090−1% | 0.94 |
| Providence | 360 | $42,840+4% | 0.62 |
New York City has the most data entry keyers of our markets (10,110), followed by Los Angeles and Dallas. Dallas (1.7) and Houston (1.65) have the highest concentration, and Houston's median ($39,520) sits below the national figure, so both Texas metros combine depth with moderate pay. Hartford is concentrated (1.44) and has the lowest median we track ($34,160). San Francisco pays the most ($51,250) on a smaller pool, and Seattle (0.45) and Denver (0.52) are the thinnest, where remote clerks are worth considering. Data Entry Keyers, by metro area, sorted by jobs. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; U.S. median $41,340. Concentration is the BLS location quotient: above 1.0 means the job is a bigger share of local employment than nationally.
Job seekers
Fake remote job offers are common enough that the Federal Trade Commission publishes warning signs. Here are the ones that matter most. Careerscape is free for job seekers and never asks you to pay for anything.
The FTC's advice is plain: never pay for a job or equipment. A real employer does not charge you to start.
Legitimate employers do not mail a check and ask you to deposit it and return part of the money for supplies.
Scammers move fast, often interview only by text and push for direct deposit and tax details before you have spoken to anyone.
Scammers copy real company names on job boards. If you cannot confirm the opening on the employer's own site, treat it as suspect. Our openings are at /jobs/.
Request talent
Tell us the records, the system, the volume and whether you need temporary help or a permanent hire.
Looking for a job instead? Submit your resume or browse open jobs.
FAQ
A data entry clerk reads source documents such as invoices, forms, checks or claims and enters the information into a database, spreadsheet or business system. The job also includes checking entries against the source, correcting or reporting errors, keeping a log of completed work and filing documents. In many offices the clerk is also the first person to notice a record that does not add up.
Use temporary staffing for a defined backlog, a system migration or a seasonal spike, since the work has a clear end. If the volume is steady and the clerk will learn your codes and exceptions over time, a direct hire keeps that knowledge in house. Contract-to-hire lets you see accuracy on real work before making an offer.
No license or certification is required. O*NET reports that many jobs ask for a high school diploma or equivalent. A Microsoft Office Specialist Excel credential from Microsoft, with exams scheduled through Certiport, shows tested spreadsheet skills, but a work sample on your own documents tells you more about accuracy than any certificate.
Often, yes, if the records can be accessed securely. Decide up front how the clerk will reach source documents, which device and network rules apply, and how you will review quality. Remote hiring also opens up deeper metros, such as Dallas or Houston, when your local pool is thin.
Browse current openings at our job board or submit your resume. Our service is free for job seekers and confidential if you are currently employed. We will never ask you to pay a fee, buy equipment or deposit a check.
Send us a sample of the records you need entered. Our recruiters will screen candidates against them and share a shortlist in your Employer Portal.
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