Data entry keyers
SOC Code: 43-9021
Data entry keyers carries a 60% AI exposure score (High automation risk), with a median annual wage of $39,850 and -25.9% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 141,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 60% AI exposure, Data entry keyers sits 23 points above the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 94% of them. Most of its core tasks still require human judgment.
Career outlook score
7/100
Data entry keyers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage F $39,850
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth F -25.9%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) F 60% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Data entry keyers in the High band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry on a declining BLS line
Typical entry is HS / some college (333/832) while growth is Declining (111/832). This is the crowded high-risk corner of the map - automation and headcount pressure compound without a degree moat.
Where Data entry keyers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Data entry keyers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
60% Higher than most higher than 94% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Data entry keyers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Data entry keyers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Data entry keyers's High automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score in the 40–70% range indicates meaningful automation pressure on specific task categories, but the role as a whole still requires human judgment for coordination, exception handling, or client interaction.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 43-9021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Data entry keyers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Data entry keyers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors.
- 2. Compile, sort, and verify the accuracy of data before it is entered.
- 3. Compare data with source documents, or re-enter data in verification format to detect errors.
- 4. 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.
- 5. Store completed documents in appropriate locations.
- 6. Select materials needed to complete work assignments.
- 7. Maintain logs of activities and completed work.
- 8. Load machines with required input or output media, such as paper, cards, disks, tape, or Braille media.
- 9. Resolve garbled or indecipherable messages, using cryptographic procedures and equipment.
Key Skills Required
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Monitoring
- Writing
- Time Management
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Complex Problem Solving
- Active Learning
- Coordination
Knowledge Areas
- English Language
- Administrative
- Customer and Personal Service
- Law and Government
- Public Safety and Security
- Mathematics
- Computers and Electronics
- Administration and Management
- Education and Training
- Economics and Accounting
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Data entry keyers?
Data entry keyers has an AI exposure score of 60%, indicating a high level of automation risk. Some tasks in this role can be augmented or partially automated by AI, but core responsibilities require human judgment.
What is the job outlook for Data entry keyers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Data entry keyers is projected to decline by 25.9% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 141,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Data entry keyers?
Key skills for Data entry keyers include Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Monitoring, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Data entry keyers earn?
The median annual wage for Data entry keyers is $39,850, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Data entry keyers?
The typical entry-level education for Data entry keyers is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Short-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Data entry keyers?
Data entry keyers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
High automation risk based on 9 analyzed tasks. A majority of tasks in this occupation are susceptible to AI automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Data entry keyers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (60% here).
- Cargo and freight agents · AI exposure 60%
- Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks · AI exposure 60%
- Eligibility interviewers, government programs · AI exposure 60%
- Gambling cage workers · AI exposure 60%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (-25.9% here).
- Foundry mold and coremakers · growth -25.9%
- Switchboard operators, including answering service · growth -26.3%
- Telemarketers · growth -22.1%
- Grinding and polishing workers, hand · growth -21.2%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 24 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Data entry keyers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Data entry keyers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).