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

What is a data operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A person who likes to correct every detail can be perfect for a data operator role that requires accurate data input. The responsibility of a data entry operator is to feed data into a computer for its processing. Precision is important, and that is why a data operator has to be detail-oriented in order to accurately process the data.

A bachelor's degree is often enough to qualify for the position of data operator. Some candidates complete their master's degrees before applying for this role. The top skill that can be found on the resume of a data operator is data entry. Apart from that, knowledge of SQL can be a bonus point on your resume.

Data operators, on average, earn an hourly pay of about $37, which sums up to more than $76,000 in a year. With an extraordinary typing speed and programming knowledge, you can expect to make more than the average pay.

ScoreData OperatorUS Average

Salary

2.7

Avg. Salary $34,582

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

8.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.58%

Asian 10.03%

Black or African American 9.46%

Hispanic or Latino 22.48%

Unknown 4.24%

White 53.21%

Gender

female 60.88%

male 39.12%

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 operator

Explore data operator education requirements

Most common data operator degrees

Bachelor's

38.2 %

Associate

22.2 %

High School Diploma

20.1 %

Start to develop specific data operator skills

Skills	Percentages
Data Entry	13.07%
SQL	9.56%
Java	9.45%
HIPAA	9.38%
Clinical Data	9.09%

Complete relevant data operator training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New data operators 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 operator based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real data operator resumes.

Research data operator duties and responsibilities

Manage daily operations of ACH payments and research errors in different internal and external databases that prevent payments from transferring.
Input all payments coming into the company via ACH, wires, checks and cash on a daily basis.
Manage daily operations of ACH payments and research errors in different internal and external databases that prevent payments from transferring.
Influence and motivate health care providers and managers to document quality and reliable information on the PCC forms.

Prepare your data operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your data operator 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 operator resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable data operator resume templates

Build a professional data operator resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your data operator resume.