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Data Entry

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 11.0601 - 11.0699.

Types of Degrees Data Entry Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Data Entry have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	41
Associate’s Degree	129
Master’s Degree	266

What Data Entry Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Data Entry build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Data Entry graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Data Entry emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Administrative — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Data Entry program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 2.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 3 / 5; level 2.9 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Data Entry careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 2.8 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Data Entry graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Processing Information	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Getting Information	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Performing Administrative Activities	3.9 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Data Entry professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Intuit QuickBooks	Accounting software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
FileMaker Pro	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Jenzabar ERP	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Dynamics GP	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Data entry software	Data base user interface and query software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Data Entry graduates include:

• Data Transcriber
• Key Punch Operator
• Magnetic Tape Typewriter Operator
• Data Collection Associate
• Card Punching Machine Operator
• Verifier Operator
• Data Collector
• Card Puncher
• Data Typist
• Braille Typist
• KST Operator (Key Station Terminal Operator)
• Data Entry Email Processor
• Medical Data Entry Clerk
• Machine Clerical Verifier
• Claims Support Specialist

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Data Entry graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	56.1%
Some college courses	34.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.8%
Less than a high school diploma	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Data Entry?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 47% women and 53% men among Data Entry graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	205	47.0%
Men	231	53.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Data Entry graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	149	34.2%
Asian	71	16.3%
Hispanic or Latino	125	28.7%
Black or African American	44	10.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.5%
Two or More Races	22	5.0%
Race Unknown	15	3.4%
International Students	5	1.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Data Entry Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Data Entry graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$46,578
4 years	$35,013
5 years	$35,657

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $35,657 — roughly -23% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Data Entry Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Data Entry. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	1	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Data Entry Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Data Entry graduates earn a median of $35,013 four years after completion — about 8% below the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000). On earnings alone, this program does not show an income premium over the baseline; non-financial outcomes (career interests, certification requirements, advancement potential) are typically the stronger argument for fields in this range.

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Computer Information Sciences	332,216
Computer and Information Sciences, General	118,381
Computer Science	79,857
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management	57,935
Information Science/Studies	22,425
Computer Software and Media Applications	15,581
Computer Programming	15,336
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	15,034
Computer Systems Analysis	3,034
Data Processing	2,131
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other	2,066
COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.