More and more people are opting to choose online work to give them an extra source of income, and data entry can be an excellent way of doing this. You can even fit the work around your family life, working from home and choosing when to work. If you have thought about trying to earn some more money, but don’t know where to start, then this article will let you know all you need to know about data entry tasks.
How much can you make from Data Entry Jobs?
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, the average wage of a data entry clerk is over $16 an hour. However, it is worth noting that this is the average wage, and many freelance and entry-level jobs will pay much less than this. The amount you can make from data entry jobs can vary widely depending on the platform you use, your experience, the task, and how many hours you can commit to the job. Data entry clerks that can demonstrate the skills required for good data entry and have built up a client base with good customer feedback are likely to be able to command a higher price.
Equipment Required to Work a Data Entry Job
If you are working on a freelance basis, you will need to have your own equipment. Thankfully for data entry tasks, the equipment is fairly limited, as all you will need for most tasks is a laptop or tablet which has internet connection and a basic software package such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Some tasks can even be completed on a mobile phone, but some more complicated tasks may require an additional monitor, as they require checking multiple databases at the same time.
If you are planning on doing a lot of data entry work from home, then you will need to ensure that your work area and equipment are suitable for consistent use. For example, if you are spending hours a day on data entry tasks, you should use an office chair and desk, and maybe even ergonomic keyboards to keep any aches and pains away.
Watch Out for Scams
Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of scams out there when it comes to data entry job listings. Keep an eye out for these things when searching for jobs. If the job offer sounds way too good to be true, it probably is. If the website is poorly designed, breaks, or doesn’t load properly, it’s probably a scam. If you get an eery suspicion when checking out the site, that’s not a good sign. Lastly, if the job wants you to do an unpaid training program or wants you to pay money upfront, run away fast!
Best Data Entry Jobs
There are a vast array of data entry jobs available online. Finding the best platform for you will depend on your circumstances, such as your experience and how many hours you have to commit to the job. A number of the websites are free, so you could even sign up for a few and see which one is the best fit for you.
Flexjobs
Flexjobs are an established site for finding remote and flexible freelance jobs, and their jobs postings include many data entry roles. A subscription is required to view job postings, which start from $14.95 per month.
MicroWorkers
MicroWorkers provide basic tasks that do not require any special training. This makes them a good match for those with no experience, however, the payment for tasks is aimed at the entry-level, with most tasks paying less than $1.
AccuTran Global
AccuTran Global provides transcription and other services to clients worldwide, mainly in the medical and legal fields, as well as corporate and financial areas. Work includes transcribing presentations, media interviews, press conferences, and round-table discussions.
Amazon Mechanical Turk
Amazon Mechanical Turk, is Amazon’s micro-tasking site that focuses on many data-entry tasks such as transcribing audio-files and fact-checking. There is often a long list of small jobs for workers to sift through and hourly wages can vary from pennies to $10+ per hour.
Scribie
Scribe is an audio and video transcription service. It is important to note that transcription services pay their freelancers per minute of audio or video transcribed, not per minute of time it takes for the freelancer to transcribe the audio or video. This is important as it often takes around 3 – 4 times longer to transcribe.
Clickworker
Clickworker provides a range of data-entry tasks, including jobs in different languages. After registering for an account you will be required to take an assessment to see your suitability for different tasks.
The Smart Crowd
The Smart Crowd, was formerly known as Virtual Bee, and is recognized as one of the fastest-growing online businesses. They offer services to a range of household names such as Microsoft and Porsche. Tasks include rating the quality of ads, assessing the usability of a company’s website, interpreter or translator services, and data entry work such as typing and verification of data. As part of your application, you will be evaluated for your suitability to complete tasks. Due to their popularity, high scores are needed to pass their tests, but don’t let this put you off applying.
GoTranscript
GoTranscript is an online transcription service, where you can transcribe audio and video at your own pace. They are beginner-friendly, including those who have no experience in transcribing. Unfortunately, as they are beginner-friendly, their pay rates reflect this, and you will need to put a lot of work in to earn good amounts of pay. However, it can be a good first step for those who want to build experience in this field.
Birch Creek Communications
Birch Creek Communications are another online transcription service, which allows you to work from home and work as much or as little as you want.
Dion Data Solutions
Dion Data Solutions hire freelance data entry clerks. To work for them you are required to have a typing speed of more than 60 words per minute, but if you achieve this then they provide you all the training and support that you need for free.
Sigtrack
Sigtrack uses freelancers to check signatures on petitions against the voter registration roles. Sigtrack pays is users base on their productivity, so the more you do, the more you get paid. Most users will start off slowly, and feel like they aren’t making any money, but if they stick with it, they are likely to get faster and earn more money. If you chose to work for Sigtrack, then having an additional monitor can be a huge advantage, as checking multiple databases on one screen will slow you down.
Capital Typing
Capital Typing provides a range of data entry jobs, alongside online customer service, translation, and transcription services. Capital Typing isn’t always hiring, so you will need to time it right. They require a sample of your transcribing skills and a CV as part of your application. Some transcriptions are known to charge around $30 per audio hour, which can translate to around $10 per hour.
Kendall Creek Communications
Kendall Creek provide transcribers to the legal services, including depositions, trials and hearings and other related work. Work is obtained directly from the client’s website, and you return it directly to the client. You will then let Kendall Creek Communications know that you have completed the task. As you engage directly with the client, you can use this to build up good working relationships with your clients, hopefully leading to more work in the future.
FastTypers
FastTypers provide captcha solving work to their workers. Captchas are those annoying verification tests where you have to choose images of certain items – such as hills or traffic lights – to make sure that you aren’t an automated bot. Captcha jobs involve adding the exact characters provided in the images, and good accuracy is required.
2Captcha
2Captcha is another captcha job provider, where jobs involve solving or answering captchas that come into the system. You are only paid a small amount for each task, but they can be completed very quickly. Users have commented on how open and transparent 2Captcha is with their fees and service.
PeoplePerHour
PeoplePerHour is a freelance marketplace, where freelancers can post their services for clients to contact them. Additionally, customers post jobs for freelancers to quote for. A freelancer can sign up to PeoplePerHour for free, and receive a set amount of credits each month to enable them to quote for jobs posted by customers. Signing up is free, but if you do a task through PeoplePerHour you will need to disburse them a commission.
Fiverr
Fiverr is another freelancer marketplace that allows freelancers to post their services to prospective clients. If you choose to use Fiverr as a freelancer you will need to post an offer and wait for clients to contact you. Typical earnings for data entry tasks are in the region of $5, but you can add optional upgrades at an extra charge, such as prioritizing the task for a quick finish. Similar to PeoplePerHour, it is free to set up an account and post-service on Fiverr, but you are required to share with them a commission on each order.
Skills Often Required for Data Entry Jobs
You can start some data entry jobs with little experience and no training. However, if you want to get more consistent work and be able to command higher fees, there are a couple of skills that you require.
Good Typing Skills
Your clients will not accept typing errors, and as such it is important to have good typing skills. If you want to make the most of your time as a data entry freelancer, you will need fast typing skills. This is particularly important for sites such as MicroWorkers, where the idea is to complete tasks in a few minutes.
Spreadsheet Knowledge
Having at least a basic knowledge of spreadsheets is important for data entry tasks. You can even use the features within Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to simplify the task and work more efficiently. If you only have a basic understanding of spreadsheets, it may be worthwhile trying to improve your skills by researching hints, tips, and skills online.
Attention to Detail
Data entry tasks are likely to involve assessing large amounts of data, which can be extremely repetitive. Doring this kind of data entry tasks it can be easy to lose concentration, and miss small details. This can negatively impact the quality of your work, which could result in you not being paid and being provided with poor feedback, which could damage your chances of gaining new customers.
Organization
Many companies and individuals outsource their data entry tasks because they do not have the time to complete the tasks within the deadlines. Once you have gained more customers, it is important to use good organization skills, to ensure that you are able to meet their different deadlines.
Communication Skills
If you are working for yourself and contacting clients directly you will need good communication skills. This is particularly important if you encounter any issues when you are doing the data entry task, and need to communicate with the client for any alternatives.
Job Alternatives to Data Entry
If you feel that data entry jobs aren’t for you, then don’t worry, there are plenty of other alternatives for you to try.
Proofreading
If you have excellent grammar and a keen eye for detail, then proofreading could be an option for you. If a company produces documents that have multiple spelling and grammatical errors, it isn’t a great look for them, and it may put off prospective buyers. That’s where proofreaders come in. Companies or individuals may not have the time or ability to proofread their work, especially if they are large documents, and as such, they contract it out to proofreaders.
Virtual Assistant
Virtual assistants are like administrative roles, secretaries, or personal assistants, but instead of being based in an office, they are based entirely at home. Virtual assistance can perform a wide range of tasks and are likely to include answering phone calls, sending emails, and managing diaries. Whilst you will be working from home, you will have less freedom and flexibility, when compared to many other work from home jobs as you are required to meet the needs of the company, entrepreneur or customers. For example, you may be required to answer phone calls each morning, which limits your ability to do anything else during that time.
Freelance Writing
If you have good writing and research skills then freelance writing may be an option for you. Similar to data entry, there are a huge number of freelance writing platforms for you to use, with some tailored to entry-level writers and others offering work to more experienced writers. Freelance writing can be a great way of earning some extra money from home, whilst improving your understanding of a wide range of topics.
As you can see from the above there is a wide range of data entry jobs available, some of which need little or no experience. As with most online jobs, when people begin data entry tasks they may feel like they are making no progress, or doing a lot of work for little pay. If you stick with it and improve your skills and experience you will see your opportunities rise and rise, allowing you to earn more money. As the entry requirements rate is relatively low, and you can do most jobs at home in your own time, why not give it a go?