Contributors: This is the best guide you’ll find about data entry work from home jobs.
I’ve been working online for several years myself and have done plenty of research into data entry work. If you want to:
- Find entry level work that’s easy to start
- Build your experience working remotely with clients
- Find legit data entry jobs (some that pay up to $35,000 per year!)
- See how data entry skills can transfer into other paid online work
Then this is the guide for you.
🏆 3 Best Sites for Data Entry Jobs
If you’re in a hurry, these are our top picks:
What Is Online Data Entry Work From Home?
Online data entry work is where you complete basic tasks for a company or client remotely. Most of the time it involves some form of typing. It can also involve basic research.
Other terms for this type of work include keyer, encoder and entry operator. The word “data” is usually included before each.
Data Entry Worker Responsibilities
The main responsibilities for an online data entry worker could include:
- Sorting or preparing documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
- Compilation or research.
- Transcription of data (audio, video, etc.)
- Basic record keeping (entering values in a spreadsheet.)
- Typing up paper documents into a digital document.
- Checking data for errors.
As there are many other things that can come into a data entry role, it’s difficult to describe a typical case. But here are some typical data entry jobs posted on FlexJobs:
Typical Data Entry Jobs
Most jobs are usually divided into three categories:
- Conversion
Changing data from one form to another. For example, word documents to PDF files, or JPEG images to PNG. - Scrubbing
Checking data records for accuracy and either flagging, deleting or correcting them (usually provided as a list or a spreadsheet). - Word processing (word formatting)
Typing up reports, documents, or other files.
There can also be a combination of these in some jobs. It mainly depends on what an employer or client asks.
🤑 How Much Can I Earn?
The median hourly wage for data entry work is around $16.10, according to US government statistics.
Working online usually involves a lower rate. This is because most jobs are done by self-employed workers who compete for work. So don’t expect a high payout.
$12 to $15 per hour is a decent rate for doing this kind of online work.
You might be able to earn more by working faster and taking on more jobs. Clients will give regular work to data entry professionals they can rely on. Consistency is key.
Do good work and you could land further opportunities with clients. Data entry skills can transfer to many other typing jobs that could enable you to raise your rates.
What Skills Do I Need?
Data entry work has a low barrier to entry. You only need very basic level skills. Typical jobs will call for:
- Basic computer skills
You should be comfortable using a computer and the internet. - Typing
The faster you are, the more you’re likely to earn. - Organization skills
Managing files and folders, tracking deadlines, etc. - Communication skills
Responding to email, online chat or speaking to clients via video conferencing applications. - Basic software skills
Using spreadsheets, word documents, or presentation software (eg. Microsoft Excel) - Discipline
Ability to stay on task, not get distracted and tolerate repetitive work. - Attention to detail
Ability to self correct errors and maintain accuracy.
Want to learn or improve those skills? See our tips below.
💻 What Equipment Do I Need?
You’ll need the following:
- Computer: either a laptop or desktop (not your phone!)
- Basic home office equipment: you’ll need somewhere to sit and work
- Software access: depends on the type of job
- Numeric keypad: better for number entry jobs that are difficult to do on a laptop keyboard
Exactly what you’ll need will depend on the type of job. Although it’s rare, some clients may want you to print or scan documents.
Where Do I Find Legit Online Data Entry Work?
There are lots of job sites and work from home data entry positions out there.
Our top three, based on earning potential and number of opportunities:
FlexJobs
FlexJobs has many US and international-based data entry jobs.
Many jobs are looking for data entry clerks with several years experience, sometimes asking for credentials like high school diplomas. Salary opportunities are generally higher here with many jobs offering $15-20 per hour.
There is a small membership fee to join FlexJobs (discount info), but it’s well worth it for the opportunities you’ll find.
FlexJobs Key Points
Virtual Vocations
Virtual Vocations has several home data entry jobs in both full and part time positions.
Almost all of the best offers are with US-based companies. Just like FlexJobs, you’ll have to provide examples of relevant data entry experience to score a job here. Rates are similar too.
There is a small membership fee to join Virtual Vocations (discount info), but that small investment should easily pay for itself.
- Virtual Vocations review
- Which is better: FlexJobs vs Virtual Vocations (Spoiler alert: FlexJobs wins ☺️)
Upwork
Upwork has a mix of short and long term data entry work, usually paying a fixed project rate depending on experience.
Jobs can include anything from moving case study documents to a database to finding information from customer websites and recording it in a spreadsheet.
You apply for jobs directly on the site and earn through their system.
It’s a good place to pick up quick and easy tasks and gain some experience.
Other Legit Sites to Find Paid Data Entry Work…
Robert Half International
Robert Half is a global human resource consulting firm based in California. The company is recognized among FlexJobs’ 100 Top Companies with Remote Jobs.
Robert Half often hires for Data Entry Clerk and Data Entry Specialist remote positions. Pay range is within $12– $22 per hour.
You’ll probably need at least one year of related experience and a good typing speed (45 – 60 words per minute) to get work here.
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk
Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (aka MTurk) has many entry level work at home jobs. Most are data entry jobs paying out toward the lower end of the market.
A research paper analyzed 3.8 million tasks on MTurk and found that workers earned a median hourly wage of about $2 an hour. Only 4% of workers earned more than $7.25 an hour.
Appen
Appen is an Australian company that works in the machine learning and artificial intelligence area. Occasionally it advertises remote data entry and administrative type jobs on its careers page.
Annie represents a typical person working as a Social Media Evaluator for Appen – one of the entry level jobs available at the company…
Annie Appen
- Social Media Evaluator at Appen
- $7 – $20 per hour
Axion Data Services
Axion Data provide digital document processing and data services to an international market.
Job openings are rare so you must join their database here and check your email for opportunities. 2-3 years experience is needed in most cases.
Capital Typing
Capital Typing regularly outsource market research, customer service, sales and data entry work to individuals working from home.
Based out of South Carolina, they have clients in the educational and business sectors.
CollegeGrad
CollegeGrad is an entry level job site that has a good mix of full time and short contract work for data keyers.
Most job openings aren’t online though. Work-at-home positions come up occasionally but less than most other sites on this list.
Fiverr
Fiverr has lots of data entry workers offering their services. Most gigs offer things like spreadsheet creation and formatting, copy paste work and web scraping (saving website data to a file).
Earnings are generally low but it’s easy to set up and get going. Workers are paid via the site.
Freelancer.com
Freelancer.com usually has several home data entry work jobs available each week.
The platforms lists jobs that you have to “bid on”. This involves applying for a job and saying you’ll work at a certain rate.
Most jobs here involve retyping, moving Excel files and converting files into other formats.
FreeUp
FreeUp is a new online marketplace for content creators looking to find marketing professionals, sales and data entry workers for help with their project.
To get started here you must sign up with your email, upload your resume and apply for work as a freelancer. The site has Indeed.com as a partner so you can upload your CV from there too.
GorgeWarehouse
GorgeWarehouse offers several work from home type jobs including data entry. The typical position pays about $10.50 per hour.
You must apply for each position through the contact forms on the site. This can be a lengthy process though as there are many fields to complete.
Guru
Guru is a good place for job seekers working from home.
Most of the data entry jobs here are with US employers and administrative teams in the European area. There are also a lot of call center positions.
Indeed
Indeed has many positions with US-based companies.
Full and part time work from home positions are a little scarce however, coming up every 3-4 days. It’s mostly office administrative type jobs that dominate here.
Lionbridge
Lionbridge is a global communications company that often advertises for data entry clerks and other computer skilled workers. Most of their clients are international and operate in the finance, sales and marketing sectors.
You’ll probably need a couple of years experience under your belt or some basic qualifications to get work here.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour is similar to Upwork and Freelancer. Worth a try if you don’t have any luck elsewhere.
TDEC (The Data Entry Company)
TDEC is one of the US’ longest running providers of business outsource services.
Although most of the company’s current data entry jobs aren’t work from home, opportunities do come up occasionally. It could be worth sending them an email to get on their radar beforehand.
Working Solutions
Working Solutions is a job site that’s specifically targeted to people working from home. Although data entry jobs show up less than customer service positions, it might be worth signing up and joining their community anyway.
They provide lots of guides, FAQs and information on how to excel working at home.
How to Improve Your Data Entry Skills
As it can lead to more jobs (and higher earnings), improving your typing speed is a good place to start.
Some employers may require you to have a certain typing speed before they hire you. A good typing speed of between 50 to 80 words per minute (WPM) will help you stand out.
Find out your current typing speed with one of these free sites:
Read tips on how you can learn to type faster here.
Besides typing, there are also some useful courses you can do:
- Data Entry Course for Beginners (Udemy)
Self-paced program teaching you how to build a portfolio, apply for jobs and build a solid skillset as a data entry clerk. - Excel Skills (Coursera)
6 week course showing you how to format spreadsheets, perform basic calculations and create data visualizations. - Microsoft Excel Essentials (Skillshare)
57-chapter program from a specialist with 30 years experience teaching you intermediate to advanced Excel.
Although these programs aren’t necessary, the certification offers can look good when applying for data entry jobs and help you stand out from the competition.
What Are Data Entry Work Scams?
Due to being relatively low-skilled work, the data entry field can attract a lot of scammers. You’ll want to stay on the lookout for any suspicious job adverts.
Most of these scams can be categorised into three groups:
- Scams that ask for money
For a required test, training course, job information or job position. - Scams that offer money
Sending you a cheque that you then send on before the payment bounces. - Scams that attempt to steal your identity
Offering you a job then asking for ID, bank account or social security information, then disappearing.
Often these scam companies will draw out the process in the hope of coming across more legit. Stay vigilant!
The good news is that the best jobs sites for finding data entry work – FlexJobs and Virtual Vocations – are completely scam-free.
One of the reasons they were created in the first place was to provide a safe, trusted way for people to find legitimate remote and flexible jobs – without having to worry about the scams.
All job opportunities on both FlexJobs and Virtual Vocations are hand-screened by a real human and 100% legitimate.
💡 Tips for Spotting Data Entry Scams
In case you don’t use 100% safe job boards – like FlexJobs and Virtual Vocations – in your job search, below are a few important tips to make sure you don’t fall for any scams…
- Always research the company
Check for a legit looking website with links out to real social profiles (staff, customers, etc.) - Make sure the business is reputable
Look for ratings and reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot. - Look for the hiring manager on LinkedIn
Or any other social channels. - Never pay money for a job
Take any requests to send money as an immediate red flag. - Be careful about paid training programs
There are very few legit ones. Drop a comment below if there’s a course you’re unsure of and we’ll check it out. - Trust your instincts
Does the job sound too good to be true? Then it probably is.
😎 Helpful Hacks For Working in Data Entry
To really succeed in this area of work you must try to:
- Set up your work space
Be smart about where you set up your computer to minimize distractions. - Work to a consistent schedule
The tasks can be monotonous, you’ll need to set strict hours. - Take regular breaks
Avoid repetitive strain injury. - Avoid handling personal tasks during work hours
You’ll usually be paid per the time you work so don’t abuse your employers trust. - Communicate actively
Ask for more info if you’re ever unsure of the tasks you should be doing. - Find more jobs by staying active on social media
LinkedIn is a good place to search for extra work and market your services.
Is Data Entry Work Right For You?
Data entry work can be good for beginners looking to gain experience freelancing and working from home. There are lots of jobs available and all you need is a computer to get started.
Making a decent income is difficult though. Most of the high paying jobs want people with good experience and fast typing speeds.
Make Money Online Alternatives to Data Entry Work
Do well in data entry work and you can often expand your computer skills to find other home working opportunities.
Some popular alternatives include:
- Transcription
Converting speech (written or live) into and electronic format. - Email and Chat Customer Service
Responding to customers of a service and solving their problems. - Writing
Creating blog posts, content for business communications or copywriting. - Virtual assistant
Administrative type work that includes things like scheduling calls, managing email, etc. - Bookkeeping
Maintaining accurate financial accounts, making reports and recording payments.
Check the links above for more info on each type of these jobs and where it’s best to find them.
Where else can I find online jobs?
Check out these resources:
💬 Need help getting started?
Let us know in the comments below if you have any more questions about data entry jobs.
Other ways to make money online
There are many other ways to make money online, to work from home or anywhere in the world.
I have learnt a lot of things. Thank you very much.