Data entry analysts manually enter text or numerical data into databases, spreadsheets or word processing programs. Professionals in this occupation may also use automated software programs to upload digital data files. Professionals in this occupation may work with client contact data, financial records, sales information or patient medical records.

Education/Training

Employers normally require that data entry analyst workers complete high school, and applicants who have completed an associate degree or bachelor’s degree may find better paying positions that can lead to advancement opportunities. Data entry analysts receive on-the-job training that pertains to specific company software and company quality assurance procedures. Workers in this occupation need to understand the basic functionality of spreadsheet creation, word processing and database management programs. Employers may offer data entry analysts who have advanced knowledge of software programs additional job opportunities.

Working Conditions

Data entry analysts need to key in manual information quickly and accurately, and some workers may have daily or hourly quotas to fulfill. Professionals in this occupation often perform the same tasks throughout their workday, and data entry analysts may experience physical discomfort in their hands, arms and wrists from repetitive computer tasks.

Daily Duties

After manually or automatically uploading information, data entry analysts may manipulate this data to create specialized reports for other colleagues. Workers in this occupation check for incorrect information and formatting to fulfill company quality control policies in addition to correcting any errors introduced during the manual data entry process.

Salary

The average salary figure for data entry workers as of May 2009 was $28,000, and workers paid on an hourly basis earned average wages of $13.46, according to statistics reported by the U.S. Department of Labor. Data entry workers employed in metropolitan areas like Anchorage and Fairbanks in Alaska, Barnstable Town in Massachusetts and the Salinas area in California reported the highest incomes in the nation as of May 2009. Data entry analysts working in these areas earned average hourly compensation ranging from $17.79 to $18.88 per hour, according to statistics reported by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Career Outlook

The number of job opportunities available to data entry analysts is expected to decrease by 6 percent during the 2008 through 2018 time period, according to estimates released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or BLS. Data entry responsibilities are being transitioned into job duties performed by other workers and automated upload processes may eliminate the need for manual data entry, according to the BLS.