Data Entry Specialist salary in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ
Phoenix-Mesa is a higher-paying market for data entry specialists: the median of $44,160 a year1 is 2.2% above the Arizona statewide median of $43,200, and 6.8% above the US median of $41,340. That is in the top quarter of US areas (#72 of 394). With about 2,650 data entry specialists, 77% of the Arizona total, no area in Arizona employs more.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Phoenix-Mesa against Arizona and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | $34,470 | $44,160 | $54,900 | |
| Arizona | $33,860 | $43,200 | $54,900 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Phoenix-Mesa earns $37,330–$51,050. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $54,900, only 1.6 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 $13,720 wide, wider than in Arizona as a whole ($12,960) and the US ($12,650), so what a data entry specialist earns in Phoenix-Mesa 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 | $34,470 | $2,872 | $16.57 | $44,477 |
| 25th percentile | $37,330 | $3,111 | $17.95 | $48,168 |
| Median | $44,160 | $3,680 | $21.23 | $56,981 |
| 75th percentile | $51,050 | $4,254 | $24.54 | $65,871 |
| 90th percentile | $54,900 | $4,575 | $26.39 | $70,839 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $6,890 a year in pay and about $8,890 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $6,830 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 Phoenix-Mesa, and the Arizona statewide median of $43,200 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Phoenix-Mesa
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 $12,821 to the $44,160 median and brings it to $56,981 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 Phoenix-Mesa
Of the 17 roles we track in Phoenix-Mesa, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($46,410) and virtual receptionists ($39,340). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,780.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administrative Assistant | +10.5% | 22,010 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +5.5% | 13,570 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +5.1% | 68,930 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 2,650 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -10.9% | 16,850 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #2 of the 17 roles we track in Phoenix-Mesa (+6.8%), between sales development representatives (+7.0%) and e-commerce order specialists (+6.0%). The typical role here is at -0.4%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost more in Phoenix-Mesa than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 1.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Phoenix-Mesa, 1.0% across Arizona and 0.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Arizona
Across the 8 areas of Arizona with data for this job, the median runs from $34,850 in the Arizona nonmetro area to $45,890 in Yuma, a gap of $11,040 a year. No other area in Arizona has as many data entry specialists, and 4 of the other 7 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Phoenix-Mesa | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yuma, AZ | +3.9% | 70 | |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | +3.7% | 50 | |
| Flagstaff, AZ | +1.4% | 40 | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | this area | 2,650 | |
| Tucson, AZ | -4.6% | 320 | |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | -14.8% | 50 | |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | -19.4% | 40 |
Phoenix-Mesa against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Phoenix-Mesa is #6 of 389 US areas, one of the ten largest markets for this job. Outside Arizona, Midland and Eugene-Springfield pay just above Phoenix-Mesa and Stockton-Lodi and Visalia just below. All four are within $100 a year of the median in Phoenix-Mesa. Of the three markets closest in size, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Phoenix-Mesa | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | +0.1% | 110 | pay | |
| Midland, TX | +0.1% | 100 | pay | |
| Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | this area | 2,650 | ||
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | -0.1% | 180 | pay | |
| Visalia, CA | -0.2% | 80 | pay | |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs, GA | -1.2% | 1,810 | jobs | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | -6.5% | 2,340 | jobs | |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL | -9.1% | 2,290 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Phoenix-Mesa, AZ?
About $56,981 a year at the median, or $4,748 a month: $44,160 in pay plus about $12,821 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Phoenix-Mesa?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $44,160 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $34,470, the 90th $54,900, and the middle half earned $37,330 to $51,050.
Is Phoenix-Mesa cheaper than the rest of Arizona for data entry specialists?
No, it costs more: a median of $44,160 against $43,200 statewide. The next area up in Arizona is Flagstaff at $44,760, the next down Tucson at $42,140.
How many data entry specialists work in Phoenix-Mesa?
BLS counts about 2,650 in the May 2025 survey. That is 77% of the Arizona total of 3,420. No other area in Arizona has as many.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Phoenix-Mesa?
Yes: $4,820 a year more at the median. The medians are $44,160 and $39,340.
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.