If you're anything like me when you initially looked into working at home, your first search was probably for data entry work at home jobs. It just seemed to make sense because I had a computer and it's something that seemed to work perfectly with the internet. So I searched and searched. Unfortunately, all I ran into was a lot of scams or companies misrepresenting data entry work from home jobs.
If this sounds familiar to you, then you'll be happy that you landed on this page. We've scoured the internet to help you find the best free data entry work at home jobs. So dive in.
How Much Money Can I Make?
It depends on the company. Some will pay you an hourly rate, others will pay you per number of words. Some companies will recruit you as a salaried employee while others allow you to bid for work and set your own pay. So, how much you earn largely depends on what works for you and how good you are at data entry.
What Type of Experience Do I Need?
This will vary depending on the company you apply to. Some may have more stringent requirements than others. But for the most part you should have data entry, typing or clerical skills. If you can't type quickly without looking at the keyboard, then this job may be difficult for you since accuracy and speed will be necessary.
What Type of Equipment Do I Need?
Again this will vary depending on the company that hires you. Most companies will require that you have high speed internet access, a laptop or desktop that runs Windows or Mac OS system. You may need access to an office program like Microsoft Office.
Fortunately you can find a laptop such as Chromebook for about $200 at Amazon.com. You can also purchase Microsoft Office at a great price at Amazon.com as well. Sometimes you'll be lucky and an employer may provide some of these things to you. But because you're working from home, they expect that you are equipped.
Complaints About Data Entry Work At Home Jobs
On paper the idea of a data entry work from home job sounds great! But there are some pitfalls that you should be aware of before we share some companies that offer these jobs.
Good Luck Landing A Job
So we've done the hard work of finding the jobs and listed them below. The problem is actually landing them. The reality is everybody that is initially interested in working at home applies to data entry jobs at home. So there is actually a greater supply of workers than there is a demand for them. You're basically competing against every Tom, Dick and Harry that may have the same experience or more than you. So you'll probably need a 4 leaf clover to land these jobs.
The pay isn't great
Back in the days being able to type was a unique skill. There were literally schools for it and classes. But nowadays most people can type so the skillset is less valued. That also means the pay has decreased. An employer can basically pay whatever they want because they know so many people want this job. So if you're expecting to make a lot of money doing this job, you'll be disappointed. Unfortunately your past experience and pay grade have little leverage in these work at home situations.
Schedule
Unlike My Top Work At Home Recommendation or sites like Swagbucks.com, FusionCash.com or SurveyJunkie.com where you basically work whenever you like, you don't have that type of flexibility with these online data entry jobs. You'll probably have a set hour and little control over the times that are available since the availability of these jobs are scarce and tons of workers want them.
Work At Home Data Entry Companies
Okay now that you know the good and bad, let's get into our list of data entry work at home companies:
Upwork – Upwork is a crowdsourcing platform where freelancers and clients meet to do business. There are tons of data entry jobs. All you need is a detailed Upwork profile and you are good to start working. You get to bid for work, set your own rates and get paid via almost any other money transfer service on the web. Upwork is open to anyone from any country, and with a computer and reliable internet you can start working any time. You can read more about it in my Upwork review.
SigTrack – This company offers seasonal data entry jobs that involves processing voter's registration for various states. SigTrack pays 15 cents per registration. You'll need to be a United States resident to apply and you also need a computer and stable internet to work at SigTrack. They normally verify all this via Skype. You need to be very accurate while entering the data because they deduct your pay if you type in incorrect data. They pay every Wednesday via PayPal.
Xerox – This well-known company is always actively looking for data entry/verification agents through their Virtual Workforce Program. Apart from the $13 an hour you'll be making as a data entry clerk, they also throw in benefits such as paid holidays and life insurance. You can always check their careers page on a regular basis for new data entry openings here.
TDEC – This company is more or less the same as Xerox in terms of pay but they are friendlier to data entry job seekers. To join you'll have look out for open data entry job openings on the site's career page and apply with your resume. If they hire you you'll be earning $10-$11 per hour including benefits. TDEC pays salaries via direct deposit and other online payroll services.
Amazon's Mechanical Turk– Amazon's Mechanical Turk offers a wide variety of small tasks including simple data entry tasks. These tasks are called HITs (Human Intelligence Tasks).You are paid for each HIT you complete successfully. Most hits pay one, two or three cents, so you'll have to work your way up to a decent amount. They pay at the end of one calendar day via direct deposit or Amazon gift cards. How much you make depends on how many hits you can complete per day, if there are any. Want the inside scoop? Read my Amazon Mechanical Turk Review.
Fiverr – Fiverr is a very popular freelance marketplace where you can advertise your skills such as data entry, writing, translating, transcribing, photo editing and virtually any skill that you have. You'll have to create a free profile advertising yourself and skills. They will then invite you to place bids on jobs posted by clients, negotiate terms and start working. They pay via PayPal, Skrill and other major online money transfer services. You can read my Fiverr review to know more about the crowdsourcing website.
Clickworker – This worldwide crowd sourcing platform offers a variety of work at home micro jobs such as writing, translating, researching and data entry work. If you have reliable internet and can perform data entry jobs you can sign up as a Clickworker. Once you sign up is approved you can start picking jobs from your dashboard. Jobs are usually priced depending on difficulty and how long the job is likely to take. Clickworker pays every week via PayPal once you make 5 euros or if you are using a bank account to get paid the minimum is 10 euros.
SmartCrowd (formerly VirtualBee) – VirtualBee is a reputable company that constantly recruits home-based workers to complete data entry projects for their clients. If you meet the qualifications, they will accept your application and allow you to work from home doing data entry. You just log on to the Virtual Bee system and start working on available data entry projects. The average pay is $5-$6 per hour. They pay weekly by check once you reach $30, the minimum payout. If you are a fast and accurate typist, this is the company where you can find easy data entry work to do from home. Read my Virtual Bee Review aka SmartCrowd.
Axion Data Entry Services – The data entry company is one of the few contracting data entry websites around. You basically work as a contractor . There's no promise you can start working today, but there's no harm in being in their database in case something comes along. They pay depending on the job and people who've worked there before say the pay is good. You'll be working as a contractor so you'l have to send over a bill when you complete a job. You'll however have to pay $30 to get a criminal background check done before you can start working.
Microworkers – This is a popular site that offers legitimate data entry jobs from home. It's more like Amazon Mechanical Turk but the pay is a little bit better. You can earn $7 an hour with fast internet and typing skills The company pays via PayPal, Skrill, Dwolla, Payoneer or funds transfer via Transpay. You'll need at least $9 to ask for payment.
More Data Entry Jobs
So we've listed some of the best data entry companies we can find. But the reality is that some of these jobs won't be hiring when you apply or have too many applicants. So if you want to find the latest data entry jobs in your area which have been researched you should look into FlexJobs.com. You can try it totally risk free and have nothing to lose if you don't have success with their site within 30 days of using it.
Alternative Work At Home Opportunities
Either way when you're trying to land a job it won't be instant. So if you'd like to make money while waiting to hear back from an employer you can start making money right away with these BBB listed companies SwagBucks.com, FusionCash.com and SurveyJunkie.com. You can use these sites to make some extra money whether you land a work at home job or not.
Are Data Entry Work At Home Jobs Worth It?
Work at home jobs are highly competitive and you have little control. An employer dictates your time and how much you earn. It can also take a very long time to secure a job. So if you're cool with that, then it may be worth it for you.
Ultimately I found the best way to earn money is to be your own boss. When you're the boss, you can control how much you make and your time. So if that's something you would like to explore as well, then you may want to check out my Best Work At Home Recommendation.
Well I hope you found this page useful, if so feel free to share it with others.
Thanks,
Eddy with a y
Thank you I’ve worked on websites like Inbox, SwagBucks, Send Earnings for a long time. I’ve been out of work for 9yrs with all kinds of spine problems like 9 discs out in total neck and back. My neck operated on 3 level infusion now 3 more out dislocated at level 1 out of 4. They recommended a 3 level back infusion but then decided they waited too long on all of it. I worked for 20 yrs as a Certified Nursing Assistant mostly Home Health also hospital, nursing homes, and health dept. I received nothing after my final check and can no longer do this work. So the kids in my family started me on these websites. I have been looking to move to something else but been scammed a lot. My new doctor has cleared me for work. Will be glad to give a call letter whatever to say the medicine I’m on don’t mess with my mind and I’m cleared to work the thing is I’m fixing to turn 52 and to date, no one will hire me. So thank you because I’ve been lost where to go next and don’t want to keep getting scammed. Amazon turned me down I do think it was maybe their business with NY right now because when I question it I got a reply about future business and they were noting my information and interest. Thank you for the other sites too. I’ve already been on Fusion Cash today and it has things I like to do. You have been a Blessing to me.
You’re very welcome. I’m sorry to hear of all your medical issues. Hopefully some of these resources will help you make some money from home or avoid being scammed by nonsense.
I was already in WA. It is quite good. However, WA is only as good as one’s resources and the SEO keywords & monthly premium membership one can pay & for as long as one can pay it. If any of these changes, has to, or needs to, stop, or is “controlled” = game over.
Uh, I’m glad you acknowledged that WA is a great resource. I’m not really sure what you mean by game over or being controlled. Any and domain and website you create on WA can be moved to another hosting company at any time. It’s the same when any other company where you may host your site. If they decide that they will shut down, you can take your site elsewhere. So I’m not really sure what you mean here.
Thank you for this information. I’ve never been able to work from home. I’m taking care of my parents and going to school (again) for my nursing degree. I’d like to “test the waters” as they say and see if it is even feasible
You’re very welcome.
Hi Eddy, data entry from home might initially sound lucrative, but I think you’ve painted a very accurate picture. It is competitive, the wages are low, and there is less flexibility than there might seem.
I believe there are much better ways to sack your boss and really take of your own online career. If pocket money is what you want, then data entry and surveys might cut it. There is so much more out there though!
Thanks for chiming in Melissa. I hear ya. But for some people data entry is their dream work at home job despite some of the complaints I laid out. Everyone has different needs and tolerance.
Am surely going to bookmark this page and check out the companies you have recommended. I am disabled at the time and every little bit helps. A Lot of great info. VickiG
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Yeah, usually when there is a great supply of workers, the pay goes way down. They can pick and choose who they want, and it is very tough to get into. I know, I have tried. But looking back, I don’t think that the pay is worth it. Then to top it off, it is really like working from home for a company, and your hours are set. So might as well go into the workforce and make more money for sure.
This is some great information about work from home opportunities. I definitely appreciate the time you put in to find legitimate opportunities. I did notice that you recommended a chromebook, I would just be careful with chromebooks because they don’t support office and they run on a chrome OS instead of Windows or macOS. The info you have about the websites though is great. Thanks for the post.
That’s a good point. But they do have access to microsoft office via the app now and the online version.
Hey, this article is absolutely awesome and really helpful. My wife just got let go in the last 2 weeks and she is unsure about having to do interviews again so she wants to try online work – just simple data entry to get started, she has good clerical skills, a laptop and good internet connection but the fact that there are too few jobs for the amount of people who are applying is very disappointing. Thanks for pointing out Fiver and Upwork, I think we will start with them, give them 3 months and see how it fairs, thanks for helping out my wife!
You’re welcome. I hope this article does help. Remember Flexjobs has many new jobs added every day. So your wife should give that a look as well.
You hit the nail on the head so to speak.I have tried a lot of different ways to try and make a buck online, and in the process I came across a lot of scams. It made me so mad at how many people scam others and steal their money.
It sure is nice to find someone who is helping people without scamming them. Thank you.
You’re welcome. Unfortunately this industry is filled with scam artists that prey on the desires of work at home seekers. So I’m happy to provide resources like this to help people find the type of work at home jobs they want.
I too have fallen privy to some online data entry scams that I thought were legit but turned out to be total frauds. I really appreciate your review because some of these sites I have been thinking about and have not tried like the Amazon Mechanical Turk. Thank you so much for posting such an honest review, I may give some of these a try.
You’re very welcome Josephine. I’m glad this could help.
It is great to have this information gathered all in one place because as you stated, it takes a ton of research to find legitimate online work opportunities with all of the scams that you have to weed through.
Personally, I feel the freelancer jobs are a better fit for me because they are less restrictive in many ways and the clients seem to only care about the results, and not what type of equipment you have or what your work environment is like.
So far, I have tried registering for M Turk and Clickworker but, I think Upwork could be worth a shot.
Are there any you recommend over the others?
You’re welcome. All the best ones I’ve already recommended above and you can find more at flexjobs like I mentioned above.