Job description template
Data Entry Clerk Job Description
Data entry clerk job description: roles and responsibilities, typing speed and accuracy, software skills, qualifications, and a template you can copy.
The role in brief
A data entry clerk enters, updates and checks information in an organisation's systems: orders, invoices, claims, customer or patient records and forms, typed from paper or digital sources or corrected after automated capture. The job is judged on accuracy first and speed second, so a strong data entry job description states the source documents, the daily volume, the systems used and the accuracy standard. Entry requirements are modest: a high school diploma or equivalent, fast and accurate typing, and confident use of spreadsheets and the company's database, CRM or ERP.
- Enter data from source documents such as invoices, orders, claims, applications and forms into the database, CRM or ERP accurately and on time
- Compare entered records with the source documents and correct errors, or report them to a supervisor
- Review records captured by scanning or OCR software and fix fields the software misread
- Sort and prepare source documents before entry, and chase missing or illegible information
Paste the description into Cohesyve to find, contact and test Data Entry Clerk candidates on the real work. Ten candidates free, no card.
Applying for a role like this? Practise the assessment free →Responsibilities
- Enter data from source documents such as invoices, orders, claims, applications and forms into the database, CRM or ERP accurately and on time
- Compare entered records with the source documents and correct errors, or report them to a supervisor
- Review records captured by scanning or OCR software and fix fields the software misread
- Sort and prepare source documents before entry, and chase missing or illegible information
- Update and maintain records, merging duplicates and removing outdated entries under the retention policy
- Run simple reports and exports in Excel or the source system when the team needs them
- Scan, file and store completed documents in the right physical or digital location
- Keep a log of completed work and meet the daily volume and accuracy targets
- Handle confidential personal, financial or health information under company policy and data protection rules such as HIPAA where they apply
Required skills
Cohesyve
Hiring a Data Entry Clerk? Start from this description
Paste the description above into Cohesyve. It finds Data Entry Clerk candidates, reaches out to them and tests each one on an AI job simulation of the real work, then returns a ranked shortlist. Ten candidates free, no card.
Nice to have
Qualifications
- 1High school diploma or equivalent; some college or an associate degree for specialist roles
- 2A typing speed and accuracy standard you test before hiring. Federal Clerk (Office Automation) postings on USAJOBS, for comparison, ask for at least 40 words per minute
- 3Previous data entry, clerical or administrative experience preferred; entry-level candidates considered on a strong typing test
- 4Ability to pass a background check for roles with access to financial or health data
Compensation and environment
Work environment
Career growth
Data entry clerks move into data entry lead, records or administrative coordinator, accounts payable or billing specialist, or, with spreadsheet and SQL skills, junior data and operations analyst roles. Clerks who learn validation, exception handling and reporting have the most room to move.
Common questions
What are the roles and responsibilities of a data entry clerk?
A data entry clerk types or imports information from source documents into company systems, checks it against the source, corrects or reports errors, keeps records up to date and files the originals. Many roles now include checking data captured by scanning software as well as keying it.
What typing speed does a data entry clerk need?
There is no universal standard, so set one from the volume and type of data and test it. Federal Clerk (Office Automation) postings on USAJOBS, as one reference point, ask for at least 40 words per minute. For numeric work, test ten-key speed separately, and always score accuracy alongside speed: fast entry with errors creates more work downstream.
Is a data entry clerk the same as a data entry operator or keyer?
Yes, for most purposes. O*NET groups them under Data Entry Keyers and lists Data Entry Clerk, Data Entry Operator, Data Entry Specialist and Data Transcriber among the sample job titles. The title usually reflects the employer's naming, so describe the actual work in the posting.
Is data entry work being automated?
Partly. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists data entry keyers among the occupations it expects to decline. The work that remains leans towards checking automated capture, handling exceptions and keeping records clean, so put those tasks in the job description if your team does them.
How do you test data entry clerk candidates?
Use a short sample from your own documents, anonymised, with a few planted errors and one illegible field. Time the task, count errors, and note whether the candidate flags the unclear field instead of guessing. That predicts on-the-job accuracy better than a generic typing test alone.
Cohesyve · Skill assessments for hiring
Put this Data Entry Clerk job description to work
Cohesyve takes the description, finds Data Entry Clerk candidates, reaches out to them and runs an AI job simulation of the work, then returns a ranked shortlist.
1,500+
assessments completed
50%
faster time-to-hire
5 min
from JD to assessment
No credit card · 10 free candidates · Plans sized to your hiring volume
From the blog