How to hire a data entry associate

How to hire a data entry associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step data entry associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a data entry associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new data entry associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a data entry associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a data entry associate, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A data entry associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, data entry associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of data entry associates.

   Type of Data Entry Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Data Entry Associate		$10-29
   Clerk	Clerks are responsible for many of the general administrative tasks in the office. They are in charge of manning office telephone lines, managing incoming and outgoing mails, filing paperwork and other needed records, scheduling and documenting meetings, typing out documents when needed, disseminating memos and other official announcements, and keeping an inventory of office equipment and supplies... Show more	$11-18
   File Clerk	File clerks are employees who do a variety of clerical and administrative tasks, usually related to documents in the office. They are responsible for the safekeeping of various files, records, or documents of the company... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Computer Database
   • Data Entry
   • Computer System
   • Payroll
   • WPM
   • PowerPoint
   • Hippa
   • Word Processing
   • HIPAA
   • Input Data
   • Account Data
   • Purchase Orders
   • Office Equipment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage client s files and communicate confidential information to approve agencies and caregivers according to HIPAA regulations.
   • Provide third-party medical billing; entering ICD-9, CPT codes, and insurance information into medically-based computer system.
   • Process payroll data, data entry applications and retirement fund contributions.
   • Perform a variety of duties associate with entering of prescription information into computer system require to process prescription orders for patients.
   • Provide 10-key and maintain a 40 wpm average.
   • Collaborate with a team to triage and prioritize the right work at the right time.

   More data entry associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your data entry associate job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A data entry associate can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, data entry associates' average salary in mississippi is 55% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level data entry associates 66% less than senior-level data entry associates.
   • Certifications. A data entry associate with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a data entry associate's salary.

   Average data entry associate salary

   $36,084yearly

   $17.35 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level data entry associate salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 20, 2025

   Average data entry associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$56,684	$27
   2	New York	$54,138	$26
   3	New Jersey	$53,620	$26
   4	Massachusetts	$51,660	$25
   5	California	$45,194	$22
   6	Delaware	$44,312	$21
   7	Ohio	$42,983	$21
   8	Maryland	$41,805	$20
   9	Maine	$41,731	$20
   10	Illinois	$41,426	$20
   11	New Hampshire	$38,683	$19
   12	Colorado	$37,584	$18
   13	Oklahoma	$37,052	$18
   14	Oregon	$36,763	$18
   15	Georgia	$34,787	$17
   16	Arizona	$34,193	$16
   17	Utah	$34,143	$16
   18	North Carolina	$34,062	$16
   19	Tennessee	$34,046	$16
   20	Texas	$33,672	$16

   Average data entry associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	AstraZeneca	$123,997	$59.61	5
   2	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC	$123,170	$59.22	2
   3	A.T. Kearney	$111,834	$53.77
   4	Schrödinger Inc	$105,992	$50.96
   5	OCC	$102,450	$49.25
   6	ZS	$98,838	$47.52	5
   7	Santander Bank	$94,762	$45.56	4
   8	LinkedIn	$92,970	$44.70	7
   9	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$88,995	$42.79	193
   10	MSCI	$88,431	$42.51
   11	Neuberger Berman	$87,732	$42.18
   12	Morgan Stanley	$83,487	$40.14	13
   13	BlackRock	$76,804	$36.92	7
   14	Point72	$76,168	$36.62	14
   15	Gilead Sciences	$74,856	$35.99	7
   16	Saggezza	$66,935	$32.18
   17	Alvarez & Marsal	$64,529	$31.02	4
   18	New York Life Insurance	$64,501	$31.01	5
   19	Alliance College-Ready Public Schools	$60,480	$29.08
   20	Capital One	$59,598	$28.65	214

4. Writing a data entry associate job description

   A job description for a data entry associate role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a data entry associate job description:

   Data entry associate job description example

   Veeva is a mission-driven organization that aspires to help our customers in Life Sciences and Regulated industries bring their products to market, faster. We are shaped by our values: Do the Right Thing, Customer Success, Employee Success, and Speed. Our teams develop transformative cloud software, services, consulting, and data to make our customers more efficient and effective in everything they do. Veeva is a work anywhere company. You can work at home, at a customer site, or in an office on any given day. As a Public Benefit Corporation, you will also work for a company focused on making a positive impact on its customers, employees, and communities.
   The Role
   
   As an Associate Data Operations Lead, you will play a critical role in developing a team that collects scientific data. You and the team that you are leading will collect relevant scientific activities that help us build data products for the Life Science industry. You should be a college graduate with strong interpersonal skills, a proactive learner, and interested in building your career in an international set up. This opportunity offers you to be part of a highly dynamic environment within a global leader in the cloud computing space.
   What You'll DoSupervise and develop the team you are leading Conceptualize and optimize existing processes KPI based performance management Develop timelines to meet product release deadlines
   RequirementsBachelors and above degree in Business Studies, Logistics, Engineering and/or PsychologyAbility to conduct remote interviews Affinity to design and implement efficient processes Comfortable working with large teams Working experience of at least one year in the capacity of intern or entry-level, or even board member of a student association Excellent communication skills Strong decision-making skills Fluent English
   Nice to HaveAbility to speak and understand any other International language apart from EnglishExposure to Life Sciences industry International experience
   Perks & BenefitsWork anywhere Opportunity to work in a diverse and international workspace Personal development budget Fitness reimbursement Contribution to pension fund Life insurance
   #LI-Remote
   
   Veeva's headquarters is located in the San Francisco Bay Area with offices in more than 15 countries around the world.
   
   Veeva is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and growing a diverse workforce. Diversity makes us stronger. It comes in many forms. Gender, race, ethnicity, religion, politics, sexual orientation, age, disability and life experience shape us all into unique individuals. We value people for the individuals they are and the contributions they can bring to our teams.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find data entry associates for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your data entry associate job on Zippia to find and recruit data entry associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with data entry associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new data entry associate

   Once you've decided on a perfect data entry associate candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new data entry associate first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a data entry associate?