Data Entry Specialist salary in St. Louis, MO-IL
The median data entry specialist in St. Louis earned $39,130 a year in May 20251, 5.3% below the US median of $41,340. BLS publishes no statewide median for this job in Missouri. Nationally it ranks #192 of 394 areas. About 910 data entry specialists work here.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area St. Louis, MO-IL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in St. Louis against Missouri and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $32,210 | $39,130 | $54,400 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in St. Louis earns $35,990–$48,380. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $54,400, only 1.7 times the bottom tenth, against 1.9 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($44,490) is 14% 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 $12,390 wide, against $12,650 nationally.
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 | $32,210 | $2,684 | $15.49 | $41,561 |
| 25th percentile | $35,990 | $2,999 | $17.30 | $46,439 |
| Median | $39,130 | $3,261 | $18.81 | $50,490 |
| 75th percentile | $48,380 | $4,032 | $23.26 | $62,426 |
| 90th percentile | $54,400 | $4,533 | $26.15 | $70,194 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $9,250 over the median, the 25th only $3,140 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,935 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 St. Louis.
What a hire really costs in St. Louis
At the $39,130 median, a local hire costs about $50,490 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,360 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 St. Louis
Of the 17 roles we track in St. Louis, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between e-commerce order specialists ($45,090) and virtual receptionists ($36,470). Project Coordinator is the highest at $100,510.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support Specialist | +17.0% | 23,760 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +16.6% | 6,570 | |
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +15.2% | 450 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 910 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -6.8% | 8,700 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #12 of the 17 roles we track in St. Louis (-5.3%), between HR assistants (-5.2%) and recruiters (-5.6%). The typical role here is at -2.8%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Data entry specialists hold 0.7% of the jobs in these 17 roles in St. Louis, 1.0% across Missouri and 0.8% nationally. The job is a smaller part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in Missouri
Across the 9 areas of Missouri with data for this job, the median runs from $33,210 in St. Joseph to $39,130 in St. Louis, a gap of $5,920 a year. The one area in Missouri with more data entry specialists, Kansas City, MO-KS ($38,910), pays less: a bigger pool at a lower median.
| Area | Median | vs St. Louis | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | this area | 910 | |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | -0.6% | 920 | |
| Southeast Missouri (Nonmetro) | -1.5% | 90 | |
| Central Missouri (Nonmetro) | -3.5% | 80 | |
| Springfield, MO | -3.7% | 150 | |
| North Missouri (Nonmetro) | -9.9% | 70 | |
| Southwest Missouri (Nonmetro) | -9.9% | 40 |
St. Louis against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, St. Louis is #25 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 Missouri, Great Falls and Waco pay just above St. Louis and Greenville-Anderson and Dalton just below. All four are within $90 a year of the median in St. Louis. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs St. Louis | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +18.4% | 920 | jobs | |
| Cleveland, OH | +4.8% | 900 | jobs | |
| Waco, TX | +0.2% | 180 | pay | |
| Great Falls, MT | +0.0% | 30 | pay | |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | this area | 910 | ||
| Greenville-Anderson, SC | -0.0% | 300 | pay | |
| Dalton, GA | -0.1% | 40 | pay | |
| Pittsburgh, PA | -1.1% | 930 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in St. Louis, MO-IL?
About $50,490 a year at the median, or $4,208 a month: $39,130 in pay plus about $11,360 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do data entry specialists earn in St. Louis?
The median was $39,130 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $32,210, the 90th $54,400, and the middle half earned $35,990 to $48,380.
How many data entry specialists work in St. Louis?
BLS counts about 910 in the May 2025 survey. Only Kansas City has more in Missouri.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in St. Louis?
Yes: $2,660 a year more at the median. The medians are $39,130 and $36,470.
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.