Data Entry Specialist salary in Lexington-Fayette, KY
Hiring a data entry specialist costs less in Lexington-Fayette than in Kentucky or the country as a whole. The median is $35,830 a year1: 2.8% below the Kentucky statewide median of $36,870 and 13.3% below the US median of $41,340. That is in the bottom quarter of US areas (#336 of 394). About 470 data entry specialists work here, 23% of the Kentucky total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Lexington-Fayette, KY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lexington-Fayette against Kentucky and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | $30,460 | $35,830 | $60,540 | |
| Kentucky | $29,280 | $36,870 | $50,910 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Lexington-Fayette earns $31,060–$45,620. The top tenth earns $60,540 or more, 2.0 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.9 times. The mean ($39,740) is 11% over the median, so a group of high earners pulls the average up; price a typical hire from the median. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $14,560 wide, wider than in Kentucky as a whole ($14,400) and the US ($12,650), so what a data entry specialist earns in Lexington-Fayette depends more on the employer.
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 | $30,460 | $2,538 | $14.64 | $39,303 |
| 25th percentile | $31,060 | $2,588 | $14.93 | $40,077 |
| Median | $35,830 | $2,986 | $17.23 | $46,232 |
| 75th percentile | $45,620 | $3,802 | $21.93 | $58,865 |
| 90th percentile | $60,540 | $5,045 | $29.11 | $78,116 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,790 over the median, the 25th only $4,770 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $12,632 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 Lexington-Fayette, and the Kentucky statewide median of $36,870 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lexington-Fayette
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $10,402 to the $35,830 median and brings it to $46,232 a year. 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 Lexington-Fayette
Of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($39,160) and virtual receptionists ($33,970). Project Coordinator is the highest at $84,520.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +24.1% | 4,600 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +20.3% | 100 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +9.3% | 5,200 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 470 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -5.2% | 1,410 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in Lexington-Fayette (-13.3%), between customer support specialists (-12.5%) and office managers (-14.7%). The typical role here is at -7.8%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost less in Lexington-Fayette than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 1.6% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lexington-Fayette, 1.0% across Kentucky and 0.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Kentucky
Across the 7 areas of Kentucky with data for this job, the median runs from $32,950 in the South Central Kentucky nonmetro area to $43,570 in Louisville, a gap of $10,620 a year. The one area in Kentucky with more data entry specialists, Louisville, KY-IN ($43,570), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville, KY-IN | +21.6% | 510 | |
| West Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +12.3% | 30 | |
| Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +8.7% | 80 | |
| East Kentucky (Nonmetro) | +2.8% | 30 | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 470 | |
| Paducah, KY-IL | -6.5% | 50 | |
| South Central Kentucky (Nonmetro) | -8.0% | 330 |
Lexington-Fayette against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lexington-Fayette is #48 of 389 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job, yet its pay sits in the bottom quarter of US areas. Outside Kentucky, Burlington and Saginaw pay just above Lexington-Fayette and Houma-Bayou Cane and Williamsport just below. All four are within $190 a year of the median in Lexington-Fayette. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lexington-Fayette | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | +18.8% | 460 | jobs | |
| Richmond, VA | +12.4% | 480 | jobs | |
| Saginaw, MI | +0.2% | 50 | pay | |
| Burlington, NC | +0.1% | 40 | pay | |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | this area | 470 | ||
| Houma-Bayou Cane, LA | -0.1% | 60 | pay | |
| Williamsport, PA | -0.5% | 30 | pay | |
| Little Rock-North Little Rock, AR | -5.5% | 460 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Lexington-Fayette, KY?
About $46,232 a year at the median, or $3,853 a month: $35,830 in pay plus about $10,402 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do data entry specialists earn in Lexington-Fayette?
Pay here is lower than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $35,830 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $30,460, the 90th $60,540, and the middle half earned $31,060 to $45,620.
Is Lexington-Fayette cheaper than the rest of Kentucky for data entry specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $35,830 against $36,870 statewide. The next area up in Kentucky is the East Kentucky nonmetro area at $36,850, the next down Paducah at $33,500.
How many data entry specialists work in Lexington-Fayette?
BLS counts about 470 in the May 2025 survey. That is 23% of the Kentucky total of 2,020. Only Louisville has more in Kentucky.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Lexington-Fayette?
Yes: $1,860 a year more at the median. The medians are $35,830 and $33,970.
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.