Would You Be Interested In Taking On Data Entry Jobs? 

Data Entry Jobs Summary

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There are many data entry jobs in many industries, and you can find job offers intended for full-time, part-time, freelance or independent contractor positions.

There are companies that hire people to fill data entry positions in an office environment, but there are also a lot of opportunities for home-based workers. Figure 1 shows that the company looking for a data encoder requires that the applicant will work in a specific city.

They often hire independent contractors for home-based data entry. Such employment mode follow no minimum wage laws, so the pay is usually lower, and employees often enjoy no benefits as compared to those that work in an office set-up. Working in an office, you would not have to worry about buying your own computer setup to meet the requirements, but you will miss the comfort and convenience of working in your own home.

A working laptop or computer is always a requirement in home-based online jobs like data entry. The specifications are usually already shown on a job posting such as shown in Figure 2. It is a telecommuting position that calls for a PC or MAC computer at least 3 to 4 years old and have an operating system of at least Windows 7. This job post specifically needs the applicant to work in his own home with his own computer instead of working in a public computer shop or café.

Data entry jobs for home-based workers also entail software programs and applications that the employer will specify. There are job offers for basic data entry using common data processing platforms and software like MS Word or Excel. In Figure 1, for example, the applicant has to be proficient in using MS Office programs.

There are also job offers involving complex data entry tasks. In Figure 3, the employer is looking for an experienced person to manage products on the Magento e-commerce website, to edit photos in Photoshop, to open PDF files and to edit Excel documents. While working, it also requires the person to log in to Skype.

For complex data entry like this, employers could offer training for using specific programs or software. In Figure 3, they mention it they will provide a detailed manual to teach the hired person how to add the products on Magento. Yet, it would be helpful if a person hired will have the initiative to search online to know more about using Magento and other necessary applications.

There are also data entry jobs, like captcha encoding, where a person could use a smartphone for typing the captcha codes using the downloaded application.

Many employers, especially of basic data entry, often require potential workers to only have at least a high school diploma, as seen in Figure 4. Yet in this example, data entry experience is also a requirement.

The industry where the employer is part of or the complexity of the data entry tasks will probably affect the required educational background of job applicants. Some job offers will require a Bachelor’s degree or college education, such as in Figure 1 where the employer wants someone who is a graduate of 2 to 4 year course. If the job post does not show the educational background requirement, you would likely know during the interview.

Typing skills is a necessity for data entry job applicants, bet regardless if you are applying for an entry level position or a more complex job, you need to have some qualities that will make your future employer prefer you over the other applicants. These qualities include organization, attention to details, work independence (or team playing if required to work within a group), courtesy, politeness, initiative, punctuality in meeting a deadline, and self motivation. Right from sending your cover/application letter, you must already include what qualities you have.

In Figure 2, the employer wants someone who is diligent, self-motivated, and detail-oriented.

How To Apply/Join

To apply or to join depend on which channel you use for taking on the job.

If you make use of online job portals, you could send the application through the provided application system on that portal or follow the instructions to apply on the job post.

If you think you have better career choice as data entry worker using certain data entry platforms, then you would most likely have to sign up first to become a member. Only then will you become part of this platform’s directory of data entry professionals. Figure 5 shows an example.

Further reading about legitimate data entry jobs, you will definitely find articles and blog posts containing lists of companies that offer such job positions. There are companies that welcome members for free, while others charge a certain amount of money to join. Be cautious at this point to avoid getting ripped off.

Make sure that the company you will become a member of is legitimate. Read reviews and feedback from other people who have joined there. High earnings tempt people to join paid membership data entry platforms. Some people do not mind paying a few dollars at the beginning.

Common signs of data entry scams include paying a fee, getting processing rebates, promoting an affiliate product and purchasing business kits. Legitimate companies that offer data entry positions often post job offers on job portals, so it is better if you apply from those trusted platforms instead.

Potential Income

The potential income varies depending on the industry and the roles or tasks.

Figure 6 is from Payscale. It shows that the average hourly is $15. The job post shown in Figure 2 is above this average rate.

As a beginner, you might not pay too much attention to the salary rate since it is always commensurate to experience. However, there are generous employers and others that are not so generous. Look at Figure 7, which is from a job post at OnlinejobsPH. The salary rate offered for a full-time job advertised as data entry is only $2, which is way below the average of $15 for data entry. Look for another job offer, if you think this will not suit your needs.

Other factors that affect or determine the salary of data entry workers also include other tasks covered in the job offer, such as administrative duties and customer service. For example, a data entry clerk in the travel and hospitality sector will also keep track of reservations and booking cancellations.

Sending of payments could be monthly, bi-weekly or weekly, depending on the agreement with the employer. Money earned is sent through the remittance method that the employer also sets. Paypal is often the preferred method. This video shows data entry jobs that pay via PayPal.

Work Schedule

Work schedules, overtime and leave are also set by the employer. Let’s look at Figure 8 (contains the remaining details of the job post captured in Figure 2 for the experienced Magento data entry professional), as an example.

Here, the work schedule that the employer sets for the hired individual is 10 AM to 7 PM, US CST time in Austin, Texas. The hired person may also enjoy a paid leave after working for 90 days.

Benefits / Bonus/ Increase/ Training Provided

Just like work schedule and payment, benefits and perks are also decisions made by the employer. Figure 8 shows that the data entry worker would have a 5% raise after working for 6 consecutive months. There is also a 13th month pay if he could work for 12 consecutive months.

This is only an example for a data entry job at home. You have known that a data entry professional could also work in a traditional office setting and one perk of office data entry over home data entry is the benefits offered. Figure 9 shows an example.

While the perks for a certain employee will depend on his assessment, it is amazing just how many possible benefits are available, such as life insurance, paid leaves, and HMO (medical and dental) coverage.

Conclusion

PROS

CONS

I worked before as a data entry specialist. Just as explained above, my job did only not involve simple data entry. I also had to do some research to gather the details required by my then employer for his potential clients as a bankruptcy attorney. It was a good job and had been a good work experience. You, too, may find a worthwhile career from data entry jobs.