Data entry jobs are typically considered entry-level positions, open to anyone who can read data and type out copy. In addition, any fully remote job can be completed by anyone from anywhere, even halfway around the world.
Put those two types of jobs together, and you have the holy grail of low barriers to entry. And as a result, there’s a lot of competition for a limited number of job postings. Can you get one? Should you even try? That’s a tough question to ask, but we can help you decide.
Read on for a look at what’s really required for data entry, what career progression might look like for someone working in data management, and how you can get a foot in the door in today’s highly competitive remote-work environment.
Examples of Remote Data Entry Jobs
All the positions listed below were active as of July 2024 and are entirely remote. While not all of them are billed as “data entry” in the title description, data entry is a major facet of each position. They’re all entry-level positions, too — even if they have “specialist” in the description.
And, before you ask: Yes, that last position is for a gig staffing platform called “NoGigiddy.” We can’t make this stuff up.
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- Data Entry Specialist – Remote At ABC Legal (Chicago, Illinois, US)
- Work at Home Data Entry Agent – Part Time (Kent, Washington)
- Data Entry Specialist (Chicago, Illinois, US)
- Online Ads Reviewer (Remote, US)
- Data Entry Specialist – Caremetx (Remote, US)
- Remote Intake Specialist – AdaptHealth (Ashland, KY)
- Online Data Collector – Trutone Electronics (Remote, US)
- Data Entry Specialist – CP Engineers (Sparta Township, New Jersey, US)
- Remote Data Entry Clerk – NoGigiddy (Miami, Florida, US)
How do you spot open roles like these? What job titles are worth considering in order to widen your search? We’ll get into those questions in the next couple of sections.
How To Find Remote Data Entry Jobs in 2024
Don’t just do a simple Google search. In 2024, you need a slightly more sophisticated approach to combing through online job boards.
You can start by trying the usual boards, but you’ll have better luck with slightly more specialized job boards. For example, Dice.com is a tech-focused job board, so you’ll find plenty of data entry positions there, with slightly less competition than you’ll find with the hugest job search boards. LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster Jobs, on the other hand, are already swamped with hundreds of applicants to any entry-level position.
Google searches can work, however, as long as you know a few tricks. If you’ve been applying long enough, you’ve probably noticed application-hosting websites like Greenhouse, which provide a backend service for receiving applications, even though they aren’t searchable like Indeed. These are called Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS, and you actually can search them, if you Google the phrase “site:” followed by the ATS website.
For example, a Google search of “data entry apply site:boards.greenhouse.io” will pull up any Greenhouse pages that include the words “data” or “entry,” and that feature the “apply” button that applications include. If you click the “Tools” button, you can make sure that you’re only seeing recent pages from the past 24-hour period.
Here are a few searches to get you started:
- “remote data entry site:jobs.lever.co“
- “remote data entry site:ashbyhq.com“
- “remote data entry site:recruiting.paylocity.com“
- “remote data entry site:jobs.workable.com“
- “remote data entry site:people.*“
- “remote data entry site:careers.*“
- “remote data entry site:jobs.smartrecruiters.com“
Feel free to add your own keywords — perhaps something related to the nearest major city, or that includes a rare skill that you’re great at. Speaking a second language can be a big help.
Data Specialists vs. Data Analysts vs. Data Scientists
Data entry is an easy job, but it crosses over with similar, but much more highly specialized and highly paid tech positions. Here are the biggest data-related jobs to know about.
- Data Entry: Enter data or otherwise update records in a database
- Data Specialists: Manage and organize data
- Data Analysts: Analyze data to identify trends and patterns
- Data Scientists: Create models to predict future trends
We kept each of these definitions as short as possible for a reason: There’s always some wiggle room when it comes to defining a job role. Some specialists might pick out trends, while some analysts might create data models.
After gaining experience with the right database protocols and programming languages, you might be able to move up from data entry to work as a specialist, or from a specialist to an analyst. You’ll be compensated well for your efforts: Data scientist salaries in most major cities start in the low six-figures.
Data Entry Alternative Positions
Sometimes, finding a great job position online is all about expanding your search terms. If you’re searching for job titles that the average person might not consider, you’ll have less competition and can stand out.
If you’re just getting started, you’ll want “data entry” and similar positions that encompass related entry-level skills. Consider if any of these positions might be a fit for you:
- Data processor
- Data transcriber
- Research assistant
- Payroll clerk
- Timekeeping clerk
- Secretary
- Word processor
If you want to zoom in on a specific industry, try the handful of business sectors that frequently need data entry clerks: healthcare, finance, retail, and transportation.
Job Interview Prep: Questions and Answers to Know
Getting the job interview is the tough part. Once you have it, you can likely guess a lot of the questions you’ll be asked, and you can come up with thoughtful responses ahead of time.
We’ve listed all 39 of the most common job interview questions, and suggested what types of answers will likely work best for you to give in response. Don’t forget to ask your own intelligent questions back, either: We have a guide on that, too.
Finally, you might want to send a thank you email after the interview is over.
In the end, though, the job market is tough for everyone right now. This is thanks in part to companies paring down their payroll in hopes of using AI tech to keep their bottom line strong. The only sure way to succeed is to keep looking for new paths towards the position you want, as cliche and unhelpful as that might sound to someone hundreds or thousands of applications into their search.
