Data Entry Keyers
Also called: Data Capture Specialist, Data Entry Clerk, Data Entry Operator, Data TranscriberOperate data entry device, such as keyboard or photo composing perforator. Duties may include verifying data and preparing materials for printing.
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What the data says: AI could halve the time on 7 of its 9 tasks, and jobs are projected to shrink 25.5% by 2035. In the most exposed occupations, the squeeze shows up first among early-career workers. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 5.2% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 7.9 hires for every 10 job openings in professional and business services, which employs about 40% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.7.9 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,130 | $31,200 to $40,620 | 1,060 |
| Alaska | $40,700 | $36,160 to $59,720 | 160 |
| Arizona | $43,200 | $36,680 to $49,640 | 3,420 |
| Arkansas | $33,860 | $33,860 to $40,770 | 1,000 |
| California | $47,010 | $41,850 to $54,510 | 14,520 |
| Colorado | $43,910 | $37,960 to $54,240 | 1,190 |
| Connecticut | $38,560 | $34,140 to $48,630 | 1,290 |
| Delaware | $37,810 | $34,030 to $42,840 | 410 |
| District of Columbia | $55,170 | $50,910 to $64,100 | 200 |
| Florida | $38,880 | $35,650 to $45,690 | 7,650 |
| Georgia | $41,270 | $36,240 to $48,150 | 3,410 |
| Guam | $25,730 | $24,110 to $30,160 | 100 |
| Hawaii | $47,630 | $40,220 to $49,420 | 210 |
| Idaho | $42,810 | $35,150 to $50,120 | 540 |
| Illinois | $42,840 | $37,610 to $48,200 | 5,910 |
| Indiana | $40,550 | $35,900 to $48,080 | 2,370 |
| Iowa | $43,640 | $39,390 to $52,740 | 1,180 |
| Kansas | $38,290 | $35,600 to $44,190 | 1,210 |
| Kentucky | $36,870 | $30,460 to $44,860 | 2,020 |
| Louisiana | $36,920 | $32,670 to $41,500 | 1,800 |
| Maine | $48,190 | $45,140 to $51,510 | 140 |
| Maryland | $38,970 | $35,090 to $43,950 | 1,850 |
| Massachusetts | $47,560 | $38,370 to $54,170 | 1,590 |
| Michigan | $38,080 | $37,320 to $45,990 | 3,290 |
| Minnesota | $44,280 | $36,950 to $54,070 | 1,360 |
| Mississippi | $34,540 | $29,950 to $40,590 | 530 |
| Missouri | not published | not published | 2,720 |
| Montana | $42,340 | $38,390 to $48,380 | 300 |
| Nebraska | $39,600 | $29,010 to $43,170 | 1,260 |
| Nevada | $39,260 | $35,280 to $47,360 | 800 |
| New Hampshire | $43,440 | $38,650 to $46,800 | 790 |
| New Jersey | $42,470 | $35,910 to $51,180 | 4,940 |
| New Mexico | $49,810 | $41,510 to $53,370 | 300 |
| New York | $44,860 | $37,890 to $51,460 | 9,470 |
| North Carolina | $39,610 | $35,200 to $46,610 | 3,330 |
| North Dakota | $48,300 | $36,680 to $53,140 | 110 |
| Ohio | $40,220 | $36,060 to $47,270 | 4,530 |
| Oklahoma | $38,590 | $33,480 to $44,780 | 1,290 |
| Oregon | not published | not published | 1,840 |
| Pennsylvania | $38,810 | $34,080 to $44,970 | 5,270 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,940 | $22,600 to $28,510 | 2,000 |
| Rhode Island | $44,980 | $39,000 to $54,030 | 270 |
| South Carolina | $38,070 | $32,550 to $44,340 | 1,490 |
| South Dakota | $34,320 | $34,320 to $39,270 | 30 |
| Tennessee | $40,490 | $34,990 to $47,700 | 2,360 |
| Texas | $38,880 | $32,250 to $46,800 | 17,850 |
| Utah | $47,180 | $37,700 to $60,670 | 2,140 |
| Vermont | $43,280 | $42,000 to $45,820 | 290 |
| Virgin Islands | $33,280 | $27,390 to $38,380 | 70 |
| Virginia | $38,900 | $33,350 to $46,620 | 2,890 |
| Washington | $47,480 | $41,070 to $57,890 | 1,360 |
| West Virginia | $35,900 | $32,130 to $39,950 | 660 |
| Wisconsin | $38,170 | $29,800 to $46,370 | 2,360 |
| Wyoming | $45,870 | $35,680 to $48,640 | 140 |
Nationally: $41,340. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
AI could halve the time on 7 of its 9 tasks
| AI rating | Its main tasks | Share of Claude conversations May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| AI alone | Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Compare data with source documents, or re-enter data in verification format to detect errors. | 0.02% |
| AI + software | Compile, sort, and verify the accuracy of data before it is entered. | 0.02% |
| Not much | Store completed documents in appropriate locations. | under 0.01% |
| AI + software | Select materials needed to complete work assignments. | Not published |
| AI + software | Read source documents such as canceled checks, sales reports, or bills, and enter data in specific data fields or onto tapes or disks for subsequent entry, using keyboards or scanners. | 0.01% |
See all 9 tasks
| AI + software | Maintain logs of activities and completed work. | 0.03% |
| Not much | Load machines with required input or output media, such as paper, cards, disks, tape, or Braille media. | Not published |
| AI alone | Resolve garbled or indecipherable messages, using cryptographic procedures and equipment. | under 0.01% |
Ordered by how important O*NET's respondents rate each task (1 to 5) times the share who say it is part of their job. The ordering is ours. 7 of the 9 have a published share of Claude conversations; “not published” means too few conversations for Anthropic to publish a figure.
Where people already use AI
The tasks above say what AI could speed up. This shows what people are using it for. Its 9 tasks fall under 9 work activities that many occupations share, and Microsoft counted how often each one came up in 200,000 conversations with its Copilot assistant in 2024.
- #21 Interpret language, cultural, or religious information for others
- #33 Compile records, documentation, or other data
- #35 Process digital or online data
- and 1 more, in the table below
| Work activity | This occupation's tasks under it | People asked AI for help in 10,000 conversations |
AI did it for them in 10,000 conversations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Process digital or online data | |||
| Evaluate the quality or accuracy of data | |||
| Interpret language, cultural, or religious information for others | |||
| Compile records, documentation, or other data | |||
| Select materials or equipment for operations or projects | |||
| Communicate with others about operational plans or activities | |||
| Operate office equipment | |||
| Maintain operational records |
Show all 9 activities
| Stock supplies or products |
How people in this work use Claude
What people in this work made with Claude % of conversations
- Data or a spreadsheet43%
- A document or report18%
- An analysis or summary8%
- A script or snippet3%
- Configuration or infrastructure3%
How they worked with Claude
79% of these conversations were about work. Anthropic Economic Index, May 2026.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for data entry keyers specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 110,654 moves out
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 8%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 7%
- 3 Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks Very high -5.6% 4%
- 4 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 3%
- 5 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 3%
Where people moved in from
of 89,708 moves in
- 1 Customer Service Representatives Very high -5.3% 10%
- 2 Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive Very high -6.0% 6%
- 3 Office Clerks, General Very high -6.0% 5%
- 4 Cashiers High -6.5% 4%
- 5 Retail Salespersons Very high -0.3% 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
O*NET survey of workers in this occupation
- 11% associate's
- 89% not published
O*NET marks 89% of the answers as too uncertain to publish, so the parts shown don't add up to 100%.
O*NET 31.0 survey of workers in this occupation · 17 people answered.
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 4% less than high school
- 30% high school
- 29% some college
- 12% associate's
- 20% bachelor's
- 5% master's
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 2,913 people surveyed.
Why the two can differ
O*NET asks about 20 people in each occupation, which makes its shares uncertain, but it reports the exact occupation and counts certificates. The Census survey reaches thousands, but it groups some occupations together and counts degrees only. More in the Guide
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
3 programs: Graphic and Printing Equipment Operator, General Production, Data Entry/Microcomputer Applications, General and Business/Office Automation/Technology/Data Entry.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
<10% this occupation
45.3% all occupations
| By kind | This occupation | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| a license | not published | |
| a certification | not published | |
| an educational certificate | not published |
Share of jobs whose employer requires it. BLS doesn't say which credential. How to read this
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeship Finder ↗ DOL lists 1 registered apprenticeship in this occupation (PHOTOCOMPOSING-PERFORAT-MA). Apprenticeship.gov can't be linked to one occupation, so search for “Data Entry Keyers” there.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS · Brynjolfsson, Chandar and Chen, Stanford (Aug 2026)
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/43-9021.00