How To Become A Data Entry Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a data entry technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Data entry technician makes sure that a company always has access to accurate information by entering data and updating databases. Data entry technicians can work in a variety of industries, from healthcare to technology, since many businesses rely on large amounts of accurate data in order to operate. Data entry technicians need to be fast and accurate typists in order to enter customer information. They also need some technical knowledge in order to maintain databases and correct any errors. Besides this general knowledge, data entry technicians usually need industry-specific experience, such as knowledge of Medicare coding or HIPAA guidelines, to manage data according to regulations and verify data when necessary.

Most data entry technicians only have an associate's degree, although a few choose to go on to earn a bachelor's.

Most data entry technicians start off working as cashiers or customer service representatives. Sometimes they need experience relevant to their industry--for example, a data entry technician working in a medical office may start off as a pharmacist technician. Once they are hired, data entry technicians can expect an average salary of $30,294 a year.

ScoreData Entry TechnicianUS Average

Salary

2.4

Avg. Salary $31,058

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

5.5

Growth Rate -8%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.88%

Asian 7.99%

Black or African American 9.65%

Hispanic or Latino 20.01%

Unknown 4.83%

White 56.63%

Gender

female 69.05%

male 30.95%

Age - 44

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 44

Stress Level

5.5

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

10.0

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

8.4

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a data entry technician

Explore data entry technician education requirements

Most common data entry technician degrees

Bachelor's

34.6 %

Associate

25.4 %

High School Diploma

19.8 %

Start to develop specific data entry technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Service	20.12%
Patients	18.56%
Triage	9.08%
Data Entry Errors	4.93%
Order Entry	4.72%

Complete relevant data entry technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New data entry technicians learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a data entry technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real data entry technician resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming a licensed data entry technician usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed data entry technician in most of states. 38 states require data entry technicians to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License Url
Alabama	-	-	Licensed Pharmacist Technician
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Pharmacist
Arkansas	Degree required	Both state and third-party exams required	Pharmacist
California	Degree required	Both state and third-party exams required	Pharmacist, Registered
Connecticut	Degree required	State exam required	Pharmacist

Research data entry technician duties and responsibilities

Manage continuous patient documentation abiding by the HIPPA guidelines.
Utilize PC to enter and retrieve patient data and process all new and refill prescriptions through Medicaid and private insurance.
Maintain current knowledge of Medicaid claim regulations and processes.
Maintain customer confidence and protect operation according to HIPAA regulations.

Prepare your data entry technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your data entry technician resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a data entry technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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