Data entry clerk vs order entry specialist

The differences between data entry clerks and order entry specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a data entry clerk and an order entry specialist. Additionally, an order entry specialist has an average salary of $34,625, which is higher than the $31,582 average annual salary of a data entry clerk.

The top three skills for a data entry clerk include data entry, customer service and computer database. The most important skills for an order entry specialist are data entry, customer service, and purchase orders.

Data entry clerk vs order entry specialist overview

	Data Entry Clerk	Order Entry Specialist
Yearly salary	$31,582	$34,625
Hourly rate	$15.18	$16.65
Growth rate	-5%	-
Number of jobs	132,345	65,085
Job satisfaction	4	2
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age	44	43
Years of experience	2	2

What does a data entry clerk do?

Data entry clerks are employees who work on the proper documentation of the data sets within the organization. They are responsible for copying in or typing in items from a source to the company database. In doing so, they provide and validate essential information to the organization. Data entry clerks are expected to assess the data and ensure that they are correct before logging them into the company database. They are required to have good attention to detail, to be able to type swiftly and accurately, and to be able to work with minimal supervision.

What does an order entry specialist do?

An order entry specialist is an individual who performs high-volume data entry to deliver precise and timely work orders to the production staff. Order entry specialists must provide customers with worldwide logistics services through the domestic and international movement of their goods. They provide outstanding customer service by maintaining pricing, stock transfer, and backorder reports from manufacturers to dealers. Order entry specialists must also resolve complaints and handle troubleshooting issues more accurately and professionally while handling multiple tasks effectively.

Data entry clerk vs order entry specialist salary

Data entry clerks and order entry specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Entry Clerk	Order Entry Specialist
Average salary	$31,582	$34,625
Salary range	Between $25,000 And $38,000	Between $28,000 And $42,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	Las Vegas, NV
Highest paying state	Washington	New Hampshire
Best paying company	General Dynamics Mission Systems	Zynex Medical
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between data entry clerk and order entry specialist education

There are a few differences between a data entry clerk and an order entry specialist in terms of educational background:

	Data Entry Clerk	Order Entry Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 28%	Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	-	-

Data entry clerk vs order entry specialist demographics

Here are the differences between data entry clerks' and order entry specialists' demographics:

	Data Entry Clerk	Order Entry Specialist
Average age	44	43
Gender ratio	Male, 19.9% Female, 80.1%	Male, 21.0% Female, 79.0%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 22.8% Asian, 7.5% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 9.5% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 63.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage	5%	6%

Differences between data entry clerk and order entry specialist duties and responsibilities

Data entry clerk example responsibilities.

Prepare, maintain and manage PowerPoint presentations.
Enter contractual data into AS400 computer terminal, implementing alphanumeric and 10-key data entry.
Work in multiple windows to process information.
Create a backup copy for one specific table on the SQL database.
Process radiology reports into MDIV program while meeting department month- end billing cycle.
Establish the ability to type approximately 58 wpm and type 10 key by touch.

Order entry specialist example responsibilities.

Manage escalations and expedites process in support of shorten interval requests.
Stock shelves, bag groceries, and gather carts while meeting customer needs.
Pull, pack and ship LTL's.
Send corporate orders invoicing through EDI system.
Verify tally sheets and work with LTL shipments.
Order doors, windows, moldings and hardware.

Data entry clerk vs order entry specialist skills

Common data entry clerk skills

Data Entry, 23%
Customer Service, 19%
Computer Database, 12%
Computer System, 6%
Word Processing, 5%
WPM, 3%

Common order entry specialist skills

Data Entry, 28%
Customer Service, 13%
Purchase Orders, 11%
Customer Orders, 8%
Order Entry, 6%
Computer System, 3%

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Data Entry Clerk vs Order Entry Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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