Do Online Data Entry Jobs Really Pay? (What You Need to Know!)

If you’re a talented individual with impeccable keyboard skills and you can work under flexible as well as tight deadlines, data entry may be an ideal job for you. With hundreds of companies across different sectors hiring for this position, being a data entry professional can be a solid career choice. But do online data entry jobs really pay?

Online data entry jobs pay, and it can be a full time career if you have the skills and discipline required to perform. The hourly rate for a data entry professional is between $10 and $17. For someone working 8 hours a day, that’s about $4,080 per month. That’s good income for sure.

Like blogging and freelance writing, data entry is without a doubt the one kind of job that can earn you good money if you put in the hard work.

In this guide, we dive deeper into the world of data entry and explain, in the simplest language possible, everything you need to know about the opportunity.

What is Data Entry Job?

Data entry job is a career path where professional clerks use devices such as laptops and scanners and data processing programs to key information into a database or the suggested documentation platform.

To do well in this line of online job, you have to familiarize yourself with a number of useful technologies to meet the demands of your clients.

The earning potential of a data entry professional on an average month really isn’t that bad. You can make up to $16 an hour, which is an equivalent of $160 for someone who works 10 hours a day.

Keep in mind that I’ve used the $16/hour as a base value because the hourly rate can be more than this depending on the agency you work with. Also, note that how much you can make also depends on how fast you are.

What Are The Qualifications for Data Entry Jobs?

We’ll look at some of the best platforms to find data entry jobs later in this guide.

First, we need to make sure you understand what qualifications you need to meet to work as a data entry professional. That way, you can determine whether you have what it takes to make money as a data entry specialist.

1. Communication Skills

You need to be a good communicator to reap from data entry jobs. If anything, you need to be conversant with technologies such as emails, online chats, and video conference solutions.

In addition to being available for an all-around communication to get instructions from your client, you should be free to ask as many questions as you possibly can for the sake of clarity. 

2. Computer Skills

You need basic computer skills to work as a data entry professional. It’s not necessary to know data entry software to their great depth by the way. For what it’s worth, the basic knowledge about solutions such as PowerPoint, Spreadsheet, and Word Documents should be enough to get you started.

• Spreadsheet: Many companies require data entry professionals to know how to use spreadsheet to enter and present data. So you should be familiar with Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.
• PowerPoint: While PowerPoint contributes to just a small percentage of the data entry job, it’s still a useful solution to be good at, as you may occasionally get jobs that require you to submit data in the form of a presentation.
• Google Products: Google Documents is the online version of Microsoft Office package, and it’s an ideal solution for those who prefer to work 100% online. Get familiar with Sheets, Docs, and Slides, as they can help you present data in real time.
• Word Document: Some data entry jobs will include typing in data, inserting tables, working with links, and formatting documents. Often, your client will ask you to upload the work directly via email or upload them to a collaboration tool such a Trello or Clickup.
• Typing: Your typing speed will matter a lot in data entry. Often, the faster you’re the better, because you can get the job done in the shortest time possible and make money fast. If you can put down 40 words in a minute, then you should easily get the grip of this job quite well.

3. Organization Skills

Here’s the deal:

Offering your clients organized work will make them give you more data entry jobs, so you can continue making more money as a data entry professional.

To be clear, you need to be more organized to live up to your clients’ expectations. You should consider:

• Sticking to the set deadline: Clients hate to micromanage, and therefore they expect you to do your job and submit the results on time. Check to make sure you understand the requested assignment and ask questions as early as humanly possible. That way, it will be easy for you to complete the work on time
• Paying close attention to details: Data entry jobs come with instructions that you must follow to a tee. So make sure you pay close attention so you can deliver the kind of work that your client expects to see.

Types of Data Entry Jobs

Now that you know the requirements for data entry jobs, let’s spend a few minutes discussing the different types of jobs you can do in this space.

Many people have come to understand that data entry is all about keying in data from a source depending on a brief provided by a client. But there’s more to it, and it comes to the role you can play in the industry.

Some types of data-entry jobs include:

1. Data Entry Keyer

A data entry keyer uses a scanner and a computer software system to present data as requested by a client.

Essentially, the job fully focuses on scanning figures from hard copies of documents and presenting them as scanned versions.

2. Typist or Word Processor

Typists are data entry professionals whose work is to simply a type data into a word processing software such as Google Document or Microsoft Office Word.

Your work as a word processor will be to input data for reports, correspondence, and proper documentation. So you need to have some good typing speed, say at least 40 to 50 words per minute to make this work well for you.

3. Data Entry Clerk

The role of a data entry clerk is to key in data from one format to another either in the form of letter or in numbers.

Again, typing speed is a key element to consider in this case. The faster you’re as a clerk the more money you can make.

4. Transcriptionist

Many of us know transcription as an online job where one converts speech to text. But have you ever stopped to think that it’s also a type of data entry job?

You see, in transcription, you have to listen to verbal (or recorded) conversation and put down what you hear in the form of a written document. That’s data entry.

Can You Make Money Online Doing Data Entry Jobs from Home?

You can make money doing data entry jobs right from the comfort of your home. All you have to do is to find the right platform to sell your services and you’re good to get started.

With that said, here are five online platforms where you can get data entry jobs right now.

1. Amazon MTurk

Amazon MTurk, also known as Mechanical Turk, is a micro-tasking site where you can complete tasks such as transcribing and fact checking data.

Also, you will be verifying listings and getting rid of duplicate content from MTurk’s database.

2. Microworkers

Microworkers platform is one of the best places to get data entry jobs and make money from the comfort of your home. 

I’ve personally worked on Microworkers as far back as 2017, and I can confidently confirm that it’s a genuine platform on the web.

3. Fiverr

Fiverr doesn’t need an introduction to anyone. As a marketplace that has been around for a long time, this platform can be the best place to sell your data entry service.

Note that Fiverr is a good option if you want to develop your client base in the data entry niche. Gigs cost as low as $5, but you can charge higher than that depending on your level of skills as a professional.

4. FlexJobs

FlexJobs is an online platform that offers different types of freelance jobs to individuals with varied skills. That means you can find data entry jobs that pay well for the service you’re willing and able to provide.

One thing that stands out about FlexJobs is the legitimacy of the platform. Given that the jobs are from real people, you can be sure that you will get a payment for the service you provide.

5. Clickworker

Clickworker is also a good platform where you can get different types of work from home jobs, and that includes data entry.

One thing you will love about Clickworker is the easy to sign up and sign in process. All you have to is to complete your profile and the system will match you to relevant listings.

And provided you’re a reliable Clickworker, you should be able to make a good amount of money every month. 

Conclusion: Do Online Data Entry Jobs Really Pay?

Online data entry jobs do pay. And as long as you’re consistent and deliver your work on time, you can make up to $4,000 a month working from home.

However, you need to be very careful about fraudsters online. Scammers are on their toes because they are aware many people are online looking for data entry jobs to make money.

So you need to know how to identify frauds and keep away from them completely.

• Never pay someone to get a data entry job. No one ever pays for a job to get a job, and it doesn’t make sense to give your billing information to such sites.
• Stay away from training programs. Clients who train are more than likely to underpay you or not pay you at all. 
• Avoid sites that claim to pay huge hourly rates for data entry jobs. Keep in mind that the average payout per hour is $12.9. If you see a data entry job claiming to pay $100 to $200 an hour, then it’s likely to be too good to be true.

Keep these tips in mind and you’ll always be safe.