Research Summary. After extensive research by the Zippia data science team, we identified the following details on data entry specialist salaries by state for the United States in 2026:
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Alaska has the highest data entry specialist salary at $39,217
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Nebraska has the lowest data entry specialist salary at $25,944
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The national average salary for data entry specialists is $32,392
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The national hourly pay for data entry specialists is $15.57
You can read more on the specific methodology.
Background
In today’s job market, salary remains a top priority for job seekers across demographics, including those looking for roles as data entry specialists. Understanding the salary landscape is crucial in making informed career decisions, especially in a rapidly evolving labor market.
While many factors influence individual salaries, comprehensive data provides a solid overview of what data entry specialists can expect in terms of compensation across the country. Keep in mind that your local market may vary somewhat from state averages, but these figures offer a reasonable expectation.
As of 2026, Alaska stands out as the state offering the highest salaries for data entry specialists.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the top ten states for data entry specialist salaries:
Let’s take a closer look at how we arrived at these figures and a full ranking of all the states.
Highest-Paid Data Entry Specialists By State
| Rank | State | Average Data Entry Specialist Salary | 10th Percentile | 90th Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $39,217 | $33,000 | $46,000 |
| 2 | California | $37,731 | $27,000 | $52,000 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $37,501 | $29,000 | $47,000 |
| 4 | Washington | $36,873 | $28,000 | $47,000 |
| 5 | Oregon | $35,312 | $26,000 | $46,000 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $34,134 | $27,000 | $42,000 |
| 7 | New York | $33,693 | $25,000 | $44,000 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | $33,620 | $25,000 | $45,000 |
| 9 | Colorado | $33,568 | $25,000 | $44,000 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $33,282 | $25,000 | $43,000 |
| 11 | Illinois | $33,244 | $25,000 | $44,000 |
| 12 | Arizona | $32,947 | $24,000 | $45,000 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $32,830 | $26,000 | $41,000 |
| 14 | Nevada | $32,783 | $24,000 | $44,000 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $31,734 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 16 | Vermont | $31,734 | $26,000 | $38,000 |
| 17 | Montana | $31,489 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 18 | Minnesota | $31,437 | $24,000 | $40,000 |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $31,380 | $23,000 | $41,000 |
| 20 | Missouri | $31,309 | $23,000 | $41,000 |
| 21 | Arkansas | $31,230 | $23,000 | $41,000 |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $31,151 | $25,000 | $38,000 |
| 23 | Maryland | $31,123 | $22,000 | $42,000 |
| 24 | Connecticut | $31,034 | $24,000 | $39,000 |
| 25 | Michigan | $31,006 | $23,000 | $40,000 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $30,913 | $23,000 | $41,000 |
| 27 | Delaware | $30,746 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 28 | Texas | $30,743 | $22,000 | $42,000 |
| 29 | Georgia | $30,541 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 30 | Tennessee | $30,273 | $22,000 | $40,000 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $30,231 | $21,000 | $42,000 |
| 32 | Virginia | $30,178 | $22,000 | $41,000 |
| 33 | Iowa | $30,138 | $22,000 | $39,000 |
| 34 | New Mexico | $30,061 | $22,000 | $40,000 |
| 35 | Alabama | $29,962 | $21,000 | $40,000 |
| 36 | Idaho | $29,899 | $22,000 | $39,000 |
| 37 | Maine | $29,748 | $25,000 | $35,000 |
| 38 | Wyoming | $29,479 | $22,000 | $38,000 |
| 39 | Kansas | $29,454 | $22,000 | $39,000 |
| 40 | Utah | $29,431 | $22,000 | $39,000 |
| 41 | Ohio | $28,914 | $21,000 | $38,000 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $28,630 | $21,000 | $38,000 |
| 43 | Florida | $28,512 | $20,000 | $39,000 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $28,425 | $20,000 | $38,000 |
| 45 | South Carolina | $28,306 | $20,000 | $38,000 |
| 46 | Indiana | $27,886 | $20,000 | $37,000 |
| 47 | South Dakota | $27,773 | $21,000 | $36,000 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $27,282 | $19,000 | $37,000 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $26,194 | $19,000 | $35,000 |
| 50 | Nebraska | $25,944 | $19,000 | $34,000 |
Methodology: Data Entry Specialist Salary By State
To understand data entry specialist pay by state, Zippia has aggregated data from various sources including the BLS, FLC, and OPM, supplemented with actual salaries from job listings. Our data science team calculates a weighted average of these figures to determine average pay for data entry specialists by state.
We ranked each state based on average annual salary data for data entry specialists, identifying the state with the highest salary.
Data Entry Specialist Salary By State FAQs
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What is the highest-paid state for data entry specialists?
The highest-paid state for data entry specialists is Alaska, with an average salary of $39,217 per year.
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What city pays data entry specialists the most?
Washington, DC pays data entry specialists the most with an average salary of $40,000 per year.
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What is the worst state for data entry specialists?
The worst state for data entry specialists is Nebraska, with an average salary of $25,944 per year.
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
