Data Entry Specialist salary in Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA
The median data entry specialist in Portland-Vancouver earned $42,760 a year in May 20251, 3.4% above the US median of $41,340. BLS publishes no statewide median for this job in Oregon. Among US areas it comes in at #99 of 394. It is the largest market for the job in Oregon: about 880 people.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Portland-Vancouver against Oregon and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | $35,020 | $42,760 | $56,790 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Portland-Vancouver earns $35,040–$50,260. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $56,790, 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 $15,220 wide, against $12,650 nationally, so offers vary more here.
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 | $35,020 | $2,918 | $16.84 | $45,187 |
| 25th percentile | $35,040 | $2,920 | $16.85 | $45,213 |
| Median | $42,760 | $3,563 | $20.56 | $55,174 |
| 75th percentile | $50,260 | $4,188 | $24.16 | $64,852 |
| 90th percentile | $56,790 | $4,732 | $27.30 | $73,277 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $7,500 a year in pay and about $9,677 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $7,720 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 Portland-Vancouver.
What a hire really costs in Portland-Vancouver
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 $12,414 to the $42,760 median and brings it to $55,174 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 Portland-Vancouver
Data entry specialists have the lowest median of the 17 roles we track in Portland-Vancouver; project coordinators have the highest, at $108,340.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +27.6% | 8,290 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +22.9% | 460 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +13.8% | 12,720 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | +2.0% | 8,340 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 880 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Portland-Vancouver (+3.4%), between recruiters (+5.5%) and executive assistants (+2.8%). The typical role here is at +9.9%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost less in Portland-Vancouver than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 0.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Portland-Vancouver, 1.0% across Oregon and 0.8% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Oregon
Across the 7 areas of Oregon with data for this job, the median runs from $30,620 in the Central Oregon nonmetro area to $45,300 in Salem, a gap of $14,680 a year. No other area in Oregon has as many data entry specialists, and 4 of the other 6 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Portland-Vancouver | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salem, OR | +5.9% | 100 | |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | +3.4% | 110 | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | this area | 880 | |
| Coast Oregon (Nonmetro) | -1.0% | 50 | |
| Bend, OR | -2.1% | 50 | |
| Medford, OR | -5.9% | n/a | |
| Central Oregon (Nonmetro) | -28.4% | 50 |
Portland-Vancouver against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Portland-Vancouver is #27 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 Oregon, Washington-Arlington and Syracuse pay just above Portland-Vancouver and Des Moines-West Des Moines and Champaign-Urbana just below. All four are within $390 a year of the median in Portland-Vancouver. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Portland-Vancouver | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse, NY | +0.2% | 230 | pay | |
| Washington-Arlington, DC-VA | +0.2% | 1,620 | pay | |
| Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA | this area | 880 | ||
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | -0.4% | 460 | pay | |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | -0.9% | 50 | pay | |
| Cleveland, OH | -4.1% | 900 | jobs | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | -8.5% | 910 | jobs | |
| Baltimore-Columbia, MD | -10.3% | 860 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Portland-Vancouver, OR-WA?
About $55,174 a year at the median, or $4,598 a month: $42,760 in pay plus about $12,414 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do data entry specialists earn in Portland-Vancouver?
The median was $42,760 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $35,020, the 90th $56,790, and the middle half earned $35,040 to $50,260.
How many data entry specialists work in Portland-Vancouver?
BLS counts about 880 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Oregon has as many.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Portland-Vancouver?
No: $870 a year less at the median. The medians are $42,760 and $43,630.
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.