Data Entry Specialist salary in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN
Indianapolis-Carmel pays data entry specialists close to the Indiana norm. The median is $40,550 a year1, about level with the Indiana statewide median of $40,550 and 1.9% below the US median of $41,340. Nationally it ranks #146 of 394 areas. It is the largest market for the job in Indiana: about 850 people, 36% of the Indiana total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Indianapolis-Carmel against Indiana and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | $32,000 | $40,550 | $56,630 | |
| Indiana | $31,460 | $40,550 | $55,040 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
Data entry specialists at the 90th percentile earn $56,630, 1.8 times the 10th percentile; the US ratio is 1.9. The middle half of data entry specialists in Indianapolis-Carmel earns $36,410–$47,390. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $10,980 wide, against $12,180 across Indiana and $12,650 nationally: employers in Indianapolis-Carmel pay within a narrower band.
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 | $32,000 | $2,667 | $15.38 | $41,290 |
| 25th percentile | $36,410 | $3,034 | $17.50 | $46,981 |
| Median | $40,550 | $3,379 | $19.50 | $52,323 |
| 75th percentile | $47,390 | $3,949 | $22.78 | $61,148 |
| 90th percentile | $56,630 | $4,719 | $27.23 | $73,071 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $6,840 over the median, the 25th only $4,140 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $8,826 a year in employer cost. 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 Indianapolis-Carmel, and the Indiana statewide median of $40,550 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Indianapolis-Carmel
At the $40,550 median, a local hire costs about $52,323 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,773 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 Indianapolis-Carmel
Of the 17 roles we track in Indianapolis-Carmel, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($43,460) and virtual receptionists ($37,050). Project Coordinator is the highest at $99,710.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +13.5% | 8,260 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +10.3% | 670 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +7.2% | 17,830 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 850 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -8.6% | 5,830 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #4 of the 17 roles we track in Indianapolis-Carmel (-1.9%), between paralegals (-1.2%) and administrative assistants (-2.3%). The typical role here is at -3.1%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Data entry specialists hold 0.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Indianapolis-Carmel, 0.9% across Indiana and 0.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Indiana
Across the 11 areas of Indiana with data for this job, the median runs from $33,810 in Muncie to $51,760 in Bloomington, a gap of $17,950 a year. No other area in Indiana has as many data entry specialists, and 7 of the other 10 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Indianapolis-Carmel | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomington, IN | +27.6% | 230 | |
| Central Indiana (Nonmetro) | +6.1% | 80 | |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | +2.1% | 100 | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | this area | 850 | |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | -0.8% | 120 | |
| Northern Indiana (Nonmetro) | -2.5% | 90 | |
| Fort Wayne, IN | -2.6% | 120 |
Indianapolis-Carmel against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Indianapolis-Carmel is #29 of 389 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, with pay near the middle of the US range. Outside Indiana, North Port-Bradenton and Grand Rapids-Wyoming pay just above Indianapolis-Carmel and Lafayette and Durham-Chapel Hill just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Indianapolis-Carmel. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Indianapolis-Carmel | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, OH | +7.4% | 810 | jobs | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | +5.5% | 880 | jobs | |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming, MI | +0.2% | 290 | pay | |
| North Port-Bradenton, FL | +0.2% | 240 | pay | |
| Indianapolis-Carmel, IN | this area | 850 | ||
| Lafayette, LA | +0.0% | 300 | pay | |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | -0.2% | 260 | pay | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | -5.5% | 860 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Indianapolis-Carmel, IN?
About $52,323 a year at the median, or $4,360 a month: $40,550 in pay plus about $11,773 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Indianapolis-Carmel?
The median was $40,550 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,000, the 90th $56,630, and the middle half earned $36,410 to $47,390.
Is Indianapolis-Carmel cheaper than the rest of Indiana for data entry specialists?
About the same: a median of $40,550 against $40,550 statewide. The next area up in Indiana is Elkhart-Goshen at $41,390, the next down South Bend-Mishawaka at $40,210.
How many data entry specialists work in Indianapolis-Carmel?
BLS counts about 850 in the May 2025 survey. That is 36% of the Indiana total of 2,370. No other area in Indiana has as many.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Indianapolis-Carmel?
Yes: $3,500 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,550 and $37,050.
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.