Data Entry Keyers
Operate data entry device, such as keyboard or photo composing perforator. Duties may include verifying data and preparing materials for printing.
Most important skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Time Management
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
Key knowledge
- English Language
- Administrative
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
What the work involves
- Compile, sort, and verify the accuracy of data before it is entered.
- Compare data with source documents, or re-enter data in verification format to detect errors.
- Store completed documents in appropriate locations.
- Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors.
- Select materials needed to complete work assignments.
- 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.
- Maintain logs of activities and completed work.
- Load machines with required input or output media, such as paper, cards, disks, tape, or Braille media.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Conventional, Realistic, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) (58.7% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (48.7%)
- On-the-job training
- Over 1 month, up to and including 3 months (58%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 2: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Data Entry Keyers is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 62% of occupations compared | — |
| Dealing with the public | Very low | Lower on dealing with the public than 86% of occupations compared | 61% of surveyed respondents chose “Not important at all” |
| Teamwork | Low | Lower on teamwork than 67% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very high | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 82% of occupations compared | — |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 76% of occupations compared | 56% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Moderate | Lower on conflict situations than 54% of occupations compared | 39% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | High | Higher on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 69% of occupations compared | 32% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Consequence of error | Moderate | Higher on consequence of error than 54% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Very serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: moderate
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: high
- Consequence of error: moderate
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0.75%
- Occasional contact with others: 10.57%
- Contact with others about half the time: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Contact with others most of the time: 3.63%
- Constant contact with others: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2018
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 60.51%
- Fairly important: 4.05%
- Important: 5.66%
- Very important: 0%
- Extremely important: 29.78%
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2018
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 3.65%
- Fairly important: 0.72%
- Important: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Very important: 24.6%
- Extremely important: 44.32%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2018
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0.78%
- Very little freedom: 0.38%
- Limited freedom: 11.35%
- Some freedom: 21.42%
- A lot of freedom: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
n = 18, Incumbent 08/2018
Time pressure
- Never: 6.96%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 14.04%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 23.09%
- Every day: 55.91%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2018
Conflict situations
- Never: 39.05%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 6.94%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 3.63%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 37.73%
- Every day: 12.66%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2018
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: suppressed by O*NET (low precision)
- Once a year or more but not every month: 17.32%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 14.01%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 14.01%
- Every day: 32.03%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2018
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 27.08%
- Fairly serious: 17.82%
- Serious: 0.33%
- Very serious: 33.05%
- Extremely serious: 21.72%
n = 19, Incumbent 08/2018
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O*NET-SOC 43-9021.00 · SOC 43-9021 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8