Top 4 Places to Find Remote Data Entry Jobs You Can Do from Home

One of the most popular options for doing data entry from home is taking on freelance work. As a freelancer, you’ll be able to pick and choose tasks according to your schedule, interests, and goals instead of being stuck working for one company.

Since long-term data entry jobs aren’t as prevalent as they once were, these freelancing job boards are a good bet for finding gigs:

Our pick: Upwork

Upwork is one of many freelancer platforms that serve as marketplaces for employers to find clients who will complete projects for them, either in the short or long term. Upwork is worth it for freelancers looking for gigs in diverse industries, including freelance data entry jobs.

To use the platform, create a profile and either bid on jobs that others have posted or wait for people to notice your profile and contact you directly with offers.

It’s free to create a profile, but bear in mind that you do have to pay a 10% commission on everything you earn through the site. 1

Upwork gets the top spot in our list of freelancing platforms because of the sheer number of gigs available. Even though data entry jobs are declining, you can still find gigs on the platform from reputable employers.

Other platforms

While Upwork is still the best place to look for data entry jobs, it isn’t the only freelancing job board out there. If you want to start freelancing as a typist or another type of data entry worker, you can also check out:

• Freelancer
• Fiverr
• Guru

Similar to freelancing platforms, remote job boards are good places to look for at-home data entry gigs. In contrast to many of the popular freelancing platforms, you don’t usually have to pay to search for gigs, which is good since you might not find a data entry job straight away.

Our pick: SideHustles.com

Full disclosure: this is our site. However, you can use the SideHustles job board to find all kinds of part-time, full-time, contract, and freelance jobs, including those focused on data entry.

We still recommend our job board above the others in our list, as it’s free to use and you don’t need to sign up to browse for jobs. It also has an edge over other free job boards in that it filters out ghost jobs and scams (including anything that requests sensitive or personal information).

Our job board uses AI to put salaries front and center (or to highlight when an advertised role doesn’t provide them).

Other platforms

If you want to look for data entry side hustles on other job boards, you can also check out:

• FlexJobs
• VirtualVocations
• Remote.co
• RemoteOK
• WeWorkRemotely
• Up2Staff

While freelance and remote websites advertise a mix of long-term, short-term, fixed-contract, and temporary jobs, micro-job platforms are specifically designed for very short-term assignments. These websites are ideal for picking up quick gigs with minimal commitment.

Unfortunately, the pay is usually pretty minimal, too. You’ll usually only make a couple of dollars from these tasks.

Our pick: Clickworker

Clickworker is a site that employers use to crowdsource labor or find workers who are willing to complete small tasks in exchange for payment. Data entry tasks like tagging and categorization are often available.

It’s free to register for Clickworker. Once you’ve signed up, you can pick up tasks that match your interests and abilities. Once you complete one of them, you can expect to automatically get paid on a weekly or biweekly basis through either Payoneer or PayPal. 2

Clickworker is a legit platform to check out if you want to give microtasking a go. Despite the low rates, we’ve still given it the top spot above other microtasking platforms, as most current users confirm that Clickworker pays as stated and there’s a decent amount of microtasks available.

Other platforms

While Clickworker is our top pick, you can also find data entry and categorization tasks on platforms like:

• CrowdGen by Appen
• Microworkers
• Remotasks
• Amazon Mechanical Turk

Even though fewer data entry jobs are becoming available, there are still websites specially designed to help connect data entry workers with businesses that need their services. These sites don’t actually employ you—instead, they help you find companies that will.

Our pick: TELUS Digital

TELUS Digital, formerly known as TELUS International, is a Canadian technology company that helps other companies with IT services and customer service. Data entry is one of the types of work they hire independent contractors for.

You can join their “AI community” to find data entry opportunities. These will be listed as data annotation jobs, which can include tasks like labeling objects in images, words in bodies of text, and voice recordings.

TELUS Digital gets the top spot as the platform still offers entry-level positions. The shift toward AI-training and data annotation means you can find more opportunities on this platform than on many of its competitors.

Other platforms

You may also be able to find similar data entry or annotation roles on sites like:

• Conduent
• OneSpace
• OneForma
• TDEC
• Vaco
• Aston Carter

Transcription is usually considered a separate field from data entry, but the two disciplines have a great deal of overlap.

In many cases, transcription work involves some data entry. Moreover, both types of work are easy to do from home and don’t have strict training or educational requirements.

Here are a few transcription agencies that offer gigs that can sometimes involve data entry:

• Daily Transcription
• BabbleType
• GoTranscript
• TranscribeMe

Just be aware that, much like with data entry, transcription jobs have become less common as a result of AI. However, you can often find work verifying and assessing AI-generated transcriptions at the aforementioned agencies.

In addition to job boards specifically designed for freelancers, remote workers, and data entry clerks, you can also try applying for work on regular job boards. This is a good option if you’re not quite sure yet what type of remote data entry job you want.

Below are a few popular general job sites:

• Indeed
• Monster
• Glassdoor
• Totaljobs

The main advantage of using general job boards to find data entry work is that you can get a broader range of results. You can view and compare full-time, part-time, freelance, salaried, and short-term positions advertised by companies in a wide variety of industries.

Remote data entry is a solid and relatively low-key way to earn extra income without leaving your house. With that said, there are a few things you need to understand about it before you jump into a new position.

What exactly does remote data entry involve?

Data entry is the process of transferring data into a digital format by entering it into a computer system and organizing it. Typically, it involves the following tasks:

• Typing information into spreadsheets or databases
• Updating records
• Verifying data for accuracy
• Correcting data errors
• Transcribing data from one format to another
• Manipulating or formatting data (e.g., adjusting structure, layout, or presentation)

Moreover, many data entry jobs involve annotation, which could be tagging images. As you may have gathered from our list, a lot of the companies that used to focus solely on data entry services now also involve AI training.

The job responsibilities and tasks are generally the same regardless of whether you’re working from the office or at home.

What equipment do you need to do data entry from home?

Although data entry is a relatively easy field to get into and doesn’t require a college degree or special training, you’ll need certain equipment to actually do the work. Make sure your home office is furnished with:

• Computer: As you may have already guessed, you need a computer to do any type of data entry work. Having an additional monitor can help (although it’s usually not required) to help you switch more quickly between tabs or windows.
• High-speed Internet: A fast and stable internet connection is a must for data entry. A slow connection will significantly reduce how quickly you can perform tasks and limit your overall earnings.
• Backup storage: You’ll need to back up the data you’re working with to avoid losing information. You can do this with extra hard drives, cloud storage, or other backup solutions.
• Data entry software: Depending on the specific job you’re doing, you may need to use specific data entry software or applications such as Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or QuickBooks.
• A private workspace: If the data entry work you’re doing is confidential, you may not be able to do it in public spaces like coffee shops or libraries.
• Job-specific equipment: Depending on the requirements for a particular job, you may need additional equipment, like a scanner or a number pad for tasks involving numerical data entry (if your keyboard doesn’t already have one).

How much do data entry jobs pay?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for a data entry worker in the US is $18.26 per hour. 3 However, this figure reflects the earnings of traditional employees and not freelance data entry workers.

According to Upwork, freelance data entry specialists earn roughly $10–$20 per hour. 4

Ultimately, your pay rate will depend on several factors, including your work experience, the type of data entry you’re doing, and what company you’re working for.

How to avoid remote data entry scams

Remote work, home-based gigs, and flexible jobs are prime targets for scammers, and at-home data entry work is no exception. Always carefully research a company before signing up to work for it, and only apply for jobs through the company’s actual website or a trusted channel.

Be particularly wary of ads that ask for your credit card or bank account details or that want you to pay for software or training. Be vigilant, and don’t sign anything without reading it first. Also, don’t let anyone deduct money from your paycheck for training, equipment, or other expenses.

In general, you won’t get random job offers from legitimate companies—if you get an email offering you an incredible remote data entry position you never applied for, it’s likely a scam.