AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 43-9021.00
Will AI replace Data Entry Keyers?
Data Entry Keyers: AI can already handle 8 of 9 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.
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Every task, scored
The 9 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Data Entry Keyers, from most to least exposed. 8 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.
| Task | AI exposure | Evidence | Model tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Store completed documents in appropriate locations. | Estimated | Standard | |
| Select materials needed to complete work assignments. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Load machines with required input or output media, such as paper, cards, disks, tape, or Braille media. | Estimated | Efficient | |
| Resolve garbled or indecipherable messages, using cryptographic procedures and equipment. | Estimated | Frontier | |
| Maintain logs of activities and completed work. | Observed | Standard | |
| Compile, sort, and verify the accuracy of data before it is entered. | Observed | Standard | |
| Compare data with source documents, or re-enter data in verification format to detect errors. | Observed | Efficient | |
| Read source documents such as canceled checks, sales reports, or bills, and enter data in specific data fields or onto tapes or disks for subsequent entry, using keyboards or scanners. | Observed | Standard |
Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 4 of 9 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 5 of 9. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.
The model tier this role needs
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.
Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.
Wages, employment and outlook
- US employment
- 127,080
- Median annual wage
- $41,340
- Middle half of earners
- $35,760 to $48,410
- Projected change, 2024 to 2034
- -25.9%
Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.
Adjacent roles
The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.
- Word Processors and Typists 70% skill overlap, about 11 months to move Exposure73
- Office Machine Operators, Except Computer 67% skill overlap, about 12 months to move Exposure29
- Proofreaders and Copy Markers 62% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure73
- Postal Service Mail Sorters, Processors, and Processing Machine Operators 60% skill overlap, about 14 months to move Exposure68
- Mail Clerks and Mail Machine Operators, Except Postal Service 60% skill overlap, about 15 months to move Exposure76
Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.
Questions about Data Entry Keyers and AI
Will AI replace Data Entry Keyers?
AI already handles 8 of the 9 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 68 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by -25.9% from 2024 to 2034.
What is the AI exposure of Data Entry Keyers?
68 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 4 of the 9 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 5 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.
Which Data Entry Keyers tasks can AI already do?
The tasks with the highest exposure are: Locate and correct data entry errors, or report them to supervisors; Store completed documents in appropriate locations; Select materials needed to complete work assignments. They are three of the 8 tasks that reach 60 or more.
What AI model tier does this role need?
A frontier-tier model or lower covers 100% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.
How many people work as Data Entry Keyers, and what do they earn?
127,080 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $41,340 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of -25.9% from 2024 to 2034.
How to cite
Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.
JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Data Entry Keyers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/data-entry-keyers
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