Data Entry Specialist salary in Rochester, NY
Hiring a data entry specialist costs less in Rochester than in New York or the country as a whole. The median is $39,400 a year1: 12.2% below the New York statewide median of $44,860 and 4.7% below the US median of $41,340. Among US areas it comes in at #187 of 394. About 370 data entry specialists work here, 4% of the New York total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Rochester, NY. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Rochester against New York and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, NY | $32,240 | $39,400 | $57,290 | |
| New York | $34,130 | $44,860 | $61,200 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Rochester earns $35,640–$46,800. The top tenth earns $57,290 or more, 1.8 times the bottom tenth, close to the US pattern of 1.9 times. The mean ($42,660) is 8% 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 only $11,160 wide, against $13,570 across New York and $12,650 nationally: employers in Rochester 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 | $32,240 | $2,687 | $15.50 | $41,600 |
| 25th percentile | $35,640 | $2,970 | $17.13 | $45,987 |
| Median | $39,400 | $3,283 | $18.94 | $50,839 |
| 75th percentile | $46,800 | $3,900 | $22.50 | $60,387 |
| 90th percentile | $57,290 | $4,774 | $27.54 | $73,923 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $7,400 over the median, the 25th only $3,760 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $9,548 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 Rochester, and the New York statewide median of $44,860 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Rochester
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 $11,439 to the $39,400 median and brings it to $50,839 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 Rochester
Of the 17 roles we track in Rochester, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between medical administrative assistants ($44,380) and virtual receptionists ($38,550). Project Coordinator is the highest at $103,520.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +14.6% | 190 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +13.6% | 9,290 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +12.6% | 4,510 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 370 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -2.2% | 2,840 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #15 of the 17 roles we track in Rochester (-4.7%), between HR assistants (-4.4%) and executive assistants (-5.7%). The typical role here is at -2.0%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Data entry specialists hold 0.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Rochester, 0.9% across New York and 0.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New York
Across the 12 areas of New York with data for this job, the median runs from $36,510 in the Southwest New York nonmetro area to $45,350 in New York-Newark, a gap of $8,840 a year. All 3 areas in New York with more data entry specialists than Rochester also pay more, among them New York-Newark, NY-NJ ($45,350) and Albany-Schenectady, NY ($39,840).
| Area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central East New York (Nonmetro) | +4.0% | 100 | |
| Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie, NY | +1.3% | 210 | |
| Albany-Schenectady, NY | +1.1% | 450 | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 370 | |
| Binghamton, NY | -1.2% | 60 | |
| Utica-Rome, NY | -1.2% | 70 | |
| Southwest New York (Nonmetro) | -7.3% | 130 |
Rochester against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Rochester is #58 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 New York, Myrtle Beach-Conway and Chattanooga pay just above Rochester and Punta Gorda and Flint just below. All four are within $60 a year of the median in Rochester. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Rochester | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tulsa, OK | +3.3% | 380 | jobs | |
| Chattanooga, TN-GA | +0.1% | 120 | pay | |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway, SC | +0.0% | 90 | pay | |
| Rochester, NY | this area | 370 | ||
| Punta Gorda, FL | -0.1% | 40 | pay | |
| Flint, MI | -0.2% | 70 | pay | |
| McAllen-Edinburg, TX | -17.6% | 370 | jobs | |
| El Paso, TX | -20.8% | 360 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Rochester, NY?
About $50,839 a year at the median, or $4,237 a month: $39,400 in pay plus about $11,439 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Rochester?
The median was $39,400 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,240, the 90th $57,290, and the middle half earned $35,640 to $46,800.
Is Rochester cheaper than the rest of New York for data entry specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $39,400 against $44,860 statewide. The next area up in New York is Albany-Schenectady at $39,840, the next down Binghamton at $38,940.
How many data entry specialists work in Rochester?
BLS counts about 370 in the May 2025 survey. That is 4% of the New York total of 9,470. 3 areas in New York have more; the closest in size is Buffalo-Cheektowaga, with about 410.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Rochester?
Yes: $850 a year more at the median. The medians are $39,400 and $38,550.
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.