Data Entry Specialist salary in Houston-Pasadena, TX
Houston-Pasadena pays data entry specialists more than Texas as a whole but less than the country. The median is $39,520 a year1: 1.6% above the Texas statewide median of $38,880 and 4.4% below the US median of $41,340. Among US areas it comes in at #178 of 394. About 4,430 data entry specialists work here, 25% of the Texas total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Houston-Pasadena against Texas and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | $27,440 | $39,520 | $58,900 | |
| Texas | $28,020 | $38,880 | $56,920 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
Pay is more spread out here than nationally: the top tenth earns $58,900 or more, 2.1 times the bottom tenth, against 1.9 times across the US. Two offers for the same title can sit far apart. The middle half of data entry specialists in Houston-Pasadena earns $33,000–$47,170. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $14,170 wide, between the figure for Texas ($14,550) and the US figure ($12,650).
What to budget for a data entry specialist here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $27,440 | $2,287 | $13.19 | $35,406 |
| 25th percentile | $33,000 | $2,750 | $15.87 | $42,581 |
| Median | $39,520 | $3,293 | $19.00 | $50,994 |
| 75th percentile | $47,170 | $3,931 | $22.68 | $60,865 |
| 90th percentile | $58,900 | $4,908 | $28.32 | $76,000 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,650 a year in pay and about $9,871 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,520 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $41,340 falls between the median and the 75th percentile in Houston-Pasadena, and the Texas statewide median of $38,880 falls between the 25th percentile and the median.
What a hire really costs in Houston-Pasadena
At the $39,520 median, a local hire costs about $50,994 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,474 here. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
We place executive assistants, customer support and e-commerce staff today; for data entry specialists we answer within one business day whether we can help. Enter the monthly pay you have in mind to compare it with a local hire. The fee field shows our standard fee3; Deel's contractor plan is the default payroll tool4.
Other roles in Houston-Pasadena
Of the 17 roles we track in Houston-Pasadena, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($40,380) and virtual receptionists ($35,350). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,510.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +15.4% | 1,270 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +11.9% | 20,220 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +2.2% | 65,510 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 4,430 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -10.6% | 17,140 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #10 of the 17 roles we track in Houston-Pasadena (-4.4%), between medical administrative assistants (-3.7%) and recruiters (-4.5%). The typical role here is at -3.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Data entry specialists hold 1.3% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Houston-Pasadena, 1.1% across Texas and 0.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Texas
Across the 30 areas of Texas with data for this job, the median runs from $28,980 in Brownsville-Harlingen to $44,190 in Midland, a gap of $15,210 a year. The one area in Texas with more data entry specialists, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX ($43,110), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Houston-Pasadena | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | +5.8% | 1,290 | |
| Longview, TX | +4.5% | 120 | |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | +0.1% | 90 | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | this area | 4,430 | |
| Waco, TX | -0.8% | 180 | |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | -2.3% | 100 | |
| Tyler, TX | -3.8% | 130 |
Houston-Pasadena against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Houston-Pasadena is #4 of 389 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside Texas, Oklahoma City and Baton Rouge pay just above Houston-Pasadena and Lakeland-Winter Haven and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara just below. All four are within $110 a year of the median in Houston-Pasadena. Of the three markets closest in size, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Houston-Pasadena | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +19.0% | 5,900 | jobs | |
| Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN | +13.0% | 4,270 | jobs | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | +11.7% | 2,650 | jobs | |
| Baton Rouge, LA | +0.3% | 210 | pay | |
| Oklahoma City, OK | +0.1% | 530 | pay | |
| Houston-Pasadena, TX | this area | 4,430 | ||
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | +0.0% | 130 | pay | |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | +0.0% | 130 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Houston-Pasadena, TX?
About $50,994 a year at the median, or $4,249 a month: $39,520 in pay plus about $11,474 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Houston-Pasadena?
The median was $39,520 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $27,440, the 90th $58,900, and the middle half earned $33,000 to $47,170.
Is Houston-Pasadena cheaper than the rest of Texas for data entry specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $39,520 against $38,880 statewide. The next area up in Texas is Killeen-Temple at $39,550, the next down Waco at $39,220.
How many data entry specialists work in Houston-Pasadena?
BLS counts about 4,430 in the May 2025 survey. That is 25% of the Texas total of 17,850. Only Dallas-Fort Worth has more in Texas.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Houston-Pasadena?
Yes: $4,170 a year more at the median. The medians are $39,520 and $35,350.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-9021: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.