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Would You Be Interested In Taking On Data Entry Jobs? 

Last Modified: February 9, 2021

By: pitin

Data Entry Jobs Summary

Anyone searching for online jobs will not miss reading about data entry jobs. Data entry tasks are part of almost all industries, so many businesses outsource this task to online service providers. A data entry job involves putting data onto a computer or electronic device using a particular program or software. You may take on data entry as a solo job or as part of the tasks for another position, such as a virtual assistant job.

As an online job, you would need to have a computer or laptop or electronic device (that will meet the technical requirements set by the employer)  - and fast internet connection! You should have fast typing skills and knowledge to use the specific computer program required for that position.

They often hire people of legal working age as data entry workers. Many employers prefer those with considerable work experience, but there are still job offers that welcome amateurs and beginners.

data entry jobs
home or office

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.

data entry office assistant jobs

Figure 1

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.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

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 at home

Figure 2

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.

data entry online jobs

Figure 3

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.

education and experience

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.

work home data entry

Figure 4

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.

skills and qualities

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.

roles for data entry

Data entry, in its most basic concept is inputting data onto a computer, but it is such an encompassing term that involves other processes to make sure that entered data are accurate and usable to the employer. Thus, data entry jobs may include different roles such as

  • Data Entry Clerk is the most common role, which requires entering data or information from one format into another using a computer keyboard. The data entry worker could input the data from a document print-out to a computer.
  • Data Entry Administrator is a position where the hired person will input the information into the database, but will also identify errors, research incomplete information, update information and facilitate reports.
  • Administrative Assistant may work on various assignments including data entry along with bookkeeping, files organization, communication with clients, and management of the employer’s schedule.
  • Data Collector will collect data and organize it into a compiled report.
  • Data Manager has the role of overseeing data management. He will also lead team meetings, resolve problems and ensure the completion of projects.
industries requiring data entry services

As mentioned earlier, different industries need people to perform data entry tasks. Below are some of these industries.

  • Administrative. Either in a traditional office setting or a home office setting, administrative data entry will involve entering information into spreadsheets along with other administrative duties.

  • Accounting and Finance. Financial institutions and companies need data entry workers for tasks such as auditing, tax preparation, payroll and more. An accounting specialist, for example, would need to enter accounts payable and receivable, invoice details and keep financial records updated.

  • Medical And Health. Hospitals, diagnostic labs, clinics and medical centers are the possible employers. They might hire a clinical data manager to work on quality control, workflow management, and budgeting. A medical biller would also perform data entry when entering payment information on databases and spreadsheets to create appropriate billings. He will also track medical claims. These jobs require a college education and extensive experience in the field.

  • Marketing and Advertising. They could also require data entry in SEO whereby the data entry clerk would collect contact details of potential clients and add these details to the email marketing database of potential clients. Upon receiving the email, potential clients would be interested in visiting the employer’s website and this could increase website traffic.

    Data entry is also beneficial to affiliate marketing from keeping records of affiliate programs to promotion of the products that the employer is an affiliate of.

Retail and Sales. Data entry is especially necessary in this field for updating online sales, inventory, collection and also logistics.

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.

data entry contractor

Figure 5

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.

data entry pay

Figure 6

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.

working at home data entry

Figure 7

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.

data entry schedule

Figure 8

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.

data entry specialist

Figure 9

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

  • Data entry jobs let you (choose to) work on different fields.
  • You may work at home or in an office.
  • Working as a data entry professional lets you learn a variety of other tasks and specialization.
  • You could get a data entry job even if you only finished high school.
  • It will be a good experience working as a data entry clerk, especially if it is your first time working online.

CONS

  • This is not a job that pays a lot unless you are well-experienced and could perform other specialized assignments.
  • Search hard for job offers that are worth your time and effort. Sometimes, the pay is already low and you still have to wait for a month before you receive your salary. Thus, it is advisable to ask the employer early on about the payment arrangement so you could decide if you will accept the job or not.

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.


Would love to know your thoughts, please comment! :)

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  1. Thank you Pitin for your nice post. I’m frustrated since I could not secure a home base typing job yet. I am a housewife. I have tried in several places including market places. Other than the market place I found some individual business company who hire manual typing expert but their entry fees are quite a high and also they do not have enough job available!

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