Data Entry Specialist salary in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA
Riverside-San Bernardino pays data entry specialists less than California as a whole but still more than the country. The median is $46,210 a year1: 1.7% below the California statewide median of $47,010 and 11.8% above the US median of $41,340. Nationally that is #33 of 394 areas, in the top tenth. About 1,130 data entry specialists work here, 8% of the California total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Riverside-San Bernardino against California and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $37,590 | $46,210 | $58,170 | |
| California | $37,490 | $47,010 | $61,520 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Riverside-San Bernardino earns $41,610–$52,920. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $58,170, only 1.5 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 $11,310 wide, against $12,660 across California and $12,650 nationally: employers in Riverside-San Bernardino 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 | $37,590 | $3,132 | $18.07 | $48,503 |
| 25th percentile | $41,610 | $3,468 | $20.00 | $53,690 |
| Median | $46,210 | $3,851 | $22.22 | $59,626 |
| 75th percentile | $52,920 | $4,410 | $25.44 | $68,284 |
| 90th percentile | $58,170 | $4,848 | $27.97 | $75,058 |
The step from the 25th percentile to the median is $4,600 a year; from the median to the 75th it is $6,710, or about $8,658 once benefits are added. 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 10th and 25th percentiles in Riverside-San Bernardino, and the California statewide median of $47,010 falls between the median and the 75th percentile. An offer at the national rate would be lower than what three quarters of local data entry specialists earn.
What a hire really costs in Riverside-San Bernardino
At the $46,210 median, a local hire costs about $59,626 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $13,416 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 Riverside-San Bernardino
Of the 17 roles we track in Riverside-San Bernardino, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($46,650) and virtual receptionists ($41,800). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,770.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +7.8% | 10,530 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +2.0% | 15,180 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +1.0% | 1,180 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 1,130 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -9.5% | 6,880 |
Measured against the US median, this job is the best paid of the 17 roles we track in Riverside-San Bernardino (+11.8%); marketing specialists come last (-11.3%). The typical role here is at +3.3%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost more in Riverside-San Bernardino than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Riverside-San Bernardino, 0.9% across California and 0.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in California
Across the 25 areas of California with data for this job, the median runs from $39,520 in Santa Maria-Santa Barbara to $54,510 in San Jose-Sunnyvale, a gap of $14,990 a year. All 2 areas in California with more data entry specialists than Riverside-San Bernardino also pay more, among them Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA ($47,040) and San Francisco-Oakland, CA ($51,250).
| Area | Median | vs Riverside-San Bernardino | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +1.8% | 5,900 | |
| Sacramento-Roseville, CA | +1.6% | 970 | |
| Vallejo, CA | +0.4% | 60 | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | this area | 1,130 | |
| North Coast Region of California (Nonmetro) | -0.5% | 60 | |
| Salinas, CA | -1.5% | 100 | |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks, CA | -2.1% | 240 |
Riverside-San Bernardino against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Riverside-San Bernardino is #16 of 389 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside California, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Pittsfield pay just above Riverside-San Bernardino and Worcester and Jackson just below. All four are within $410 a year of the median in Riverside-San Bernardino. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, none pays as much.
| Metro area | Median | vs Riverside-San Bernardino | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsfield, MA | +0.9% | 30 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +0.2% | 920 | pay | |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | this area | 1,130 | ||
| Worcester, MA | -0.4% | 150 | pay | |
| Jackson, MI | -0.5% | 30 | pay | |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX | -9.5% | 1,290 | jobs | |
| Detroit-Warren, MI | -13.0% | 1,120 | jobs | |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | -18.2% | 1,090 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Riverside-San Bernardino, CA?
About $59,626 a year at the median, or $4,969 a month: $46,210 in pay plus about $13,416 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Riverside-San Bernardino?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $46,210 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $37,590, the 90th $58,170, and the middle half earned $41,610 to $52,920.
Is Riverside-San Bernardino cheaper than the rest of California for data entry specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $46,210 against $47,010 statewide. The next area up in California is Vallejo at $46,400, the next down the North Coast Region of California nonmetro area at $45,960.
How many data entry specialists work in Riverside-San Bernardino?
BLS counts about 1,130 in the May 2025 survey. That is 8% of the California total of 14,520. Only Los Angeles-Long Beach and San Francisco-Oakland have more in California.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Riverside-San Bernardino?
Yes: $4,410 a year more at the median. The medians are $46,210 and $41,800.
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.