Data Entry Specialist salary in Lincoln, NE
Lincoln pays data entry specialists close to the national norm. The median is $41,390 a year1, 4.5% above the Nebraska statewide median of $39,600 and about level with the US median of $41,340. Nationally it ranks #129 of 394 areas. BLS counts about 330 people in this job here, 26% of the Nebraska total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Lincoln, NE. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Lincoln against Nebraska and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln, NE | $33,840 | $41,390 | $48,040 | |
| Nebraska | $28,080 | $39,600 | $49,230 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Lincoln earns $37,650–$44,190. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $48,040, only 1.4 times the bottom tenth, against 1.9 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is only $6,540 wide, against $14,160 across Nebraska and $12,650 nationally: employers in Lincoln 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 | $33,840 | $2,820 | $16.27 | $43,665 |
| 25th percentile | $37,650 | $3,138 | $18.10 | $48,581 |
| Median | $41,390 | $3,449 | $19.90 | $53,406 |
| 75th percentile | $44,190 | $3,682 | $21.25 | $57,019 |
| 90th percentile | $48,040 | $4,003 | $23.10 | $61,987 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $2,800 a year in pay and about $3,613 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $3,740 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 25th percentile and the median in Lincoln, and the Nebraska statewide median of $39,600 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Lincoln
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 $12,016 to the $41,390 median and brings it to $53,406 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 Lincoln
Of the 17 roles we track in Lincoln, this one ranks #15 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($41,430) and e-commerce order specialists ($38,240). Executive Assistant is the highest at $65,410.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +10.7% | 930 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +0.1% | 2,540 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 330 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | -7.6% | 60 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -10.5% | 1,260 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Lincoln (+0.1%), between payroll specialists (+3.5%) and medical administrative assistants (-0.2%). The typical role here is at -8.6%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost more in Lincoln than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 1.8% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Lincoln, 1.3% across Nebraska and 0.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Nebraska
Across the 5 areas of Nebraska with data for this job, the median runs from $28,080 in the Northwest Nebraska nonmetro area to $42,370 in Omaha, a gap of $14,290 a year. The one area in Nebraska with more data entry specialists, Omaha, NE-IA ($42,370), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Lincoln | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha, NE-IA | +2.4% | 400 | |
| South Nebraska (Nonmetro) | +0.6% | 120 | |
| Lincoln, NE | this area | 330 | |
| Northeast Nebraska (Nonmetro) | -7.9% | 100 | |
| Northwest Nebraska (Nonmetro) | -32.2% | 80 |
Lincoln against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Lincoln is #64 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 Nebraska, Elkhart-Goshen and Gainesville pay just above Lincoln and Kingston and Longview just below. All four are within $80 a year of the median in Lincoln. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Lincoln | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson, AZ | +1.8% | 320 | jobs | |
| Gainesville, GA | +0.1% | 60 | pay | |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | +0.0% | 100 | pay | |
| Lincoln, NE | this area | 330 | ||
| Kingston, NY | -0.0% | 60 | pay | |
| Longview, TX | -0.2% | 120 | pay | |
| Knoxville, TN | -5.8% | 340 | jobs | |
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | -15.7% | 320 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Lincoln, NE?
About $53,406 a year at the median, or $4,451 a month: $41,390 in pay plus about $12,016 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do data entry specialists earn in Lincoln?
The median was $41,390 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,840, the 90th $48,040, and the middle half earned $37,650 to $44,190.
Is Lincoln cheaper than the rest of Nebraska for data entry specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $41,390 against $39,600 statewide. The next area up in Nebraska is the South Nebraska nonmetro area at $41,650, the next down the Northeast Nebraska nonmetro area at $38,100.
How many data entry specialists work in Lincoln?
BLS counts about 330 in the May 2025 survey. That is 26% of the Nebraska total of 1,260. Only Omaha has more in Nebraska.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than an e-commerce order specialist in Lincoln?
Yes: $3,150 a year more at the median. The medians are $41,390 and $38,240.
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.