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Data Entry Keyers vs File Clerks

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Data Entry Keyers and File Clerks on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”

Data Entry Keyers File Clerks
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$39,850
$41,270
Employment · BLS OEWS
135,280
78,980
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
92nd pct
80th pct

At a glance

Dimension Data Entry Keyers File Clerks
Median pay $39,850 $41,270
Employment 135,280 78,980
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection Declining (-25.9%) Declining (-15.9%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 9,500 7,300
Typical education · O*NET Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not. Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
AI exposure · published exposure studies High · 92nd pct High · 80th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 100th pct · 70% of tasks 69th pct · 37% of tasks
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index Automation-leaning (64.0%) Automation-leaning (48.9%)
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman Yes Yes

Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.

Skills

Shared: English Language, Administrative, Written Comprehension, Near Vision, Reading Comprehension, Customer and Personal Service, Law and Government, Oral Comprehension, Information Ordering, Perceptual Speed, Speech Recognition, Active Listening, Selective Attention, Monitoring, Speech Clarity, Written Expression, Category Flexibility, Writing, Time Management, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Public Safety and Security, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving, Problem Sensitivity, Deductive Reasoning, Mathematics, Computers and Electronics, Active Learning, Coordination, Service Orientation, Flexibility of Closure, Far Vision, Administration and Management, Social Perceptiveness.

Specific to Data Entry Keyers

  • Finger Dexterity
  • Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Time Sharing
  • Education and Training

Specific to File Clerks

  • Telecommunications
  • Fluency of Ideas
  • Originality
  • Judgment and Decision Making

Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).

Tools & technology

Shared: Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Electronic mail software , Word processing software , Accounting software , Data base user interface and query software , Presentation software , Medical software , Document management software .

Full profiles

This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Data Entry Keyers or File Clerks — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

More comparisons

Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Data Entry Keyers vs File Clerks." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/data-entry-keyers-vs-file-clerks

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Data Entry Keyers vs File Clerks. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/data-entry-keyers-vs-file-clerks

BibTeX
@misc{singulariki-data-entry-keyers-vs-file-clerks,
  title  = {Data Entry Keyers vs File Clerks},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/compare/data-entry-keyers-vs-file-clerks}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.