Data Entry Specialist salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Tampa-St. Petersburg pays data entry specialists close to the Florida norm. The median is $38,510 a year1, about level with the Florida statewide median of $38,880 and 6.8% below the US median of $41,340. Nationally it ranks #227 of 394 areas. About 1,460 data entry specialists work here, 19% of the Florida total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Tampa-St. Petersburg against Florida and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | $33,120 | $38,510 | $48,610 | |
| Florida | $31,400 | $38,880 | $51,250 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Tampa-St. Petersburg earns $37,060–$44,790. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $48,610, 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 $7,730 wide, against $10,040 across Florida and $12,650 nationally: employers in Tampa-St. Petersburg 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 | $33,120 | $2,760 | $15.92 | $42,735 |
| 25th percentile | $37,060 | $3,088 | $17.82 | $47,819 |
| Median | $38,510 | $3,209 | $18.51 | $49,690 |
| 75th percentile | $44,790 | $3,732 | $21.53 | $57,794 |
| 90th percentile | $48,610 | $4,051 | $23.37 | $62,723 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $6,280 over the median, the 25th only $1,450 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $8,103 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg, and the Florida statewide median of $38,880 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Tampa-St. Petersburg
At the $38,510 median, a local hire costs about $49,690 a year: benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, about $11,180 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 Tampa-St. Petersburg
Of the 16 roles we track in Tampa-St. Petersburg, this one ranks #15 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($42,660) and virtual receptionists ($36,640). Project Coordinator is the highest at $97,780.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Order Specialist | +27.7% | 650 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +13.7% | 16,350 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +10.8% | 34,150 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 1,460 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -4.9% | 10,290 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #11 of the 16 roles we track in Tampa-St. Petersburg (-6.8%), between accountants (-5.6%) and office managers (-8.4%). The typical role here is at -4.7%, so this job follows the area's general pay level. Data entry specialists hold 0.9% of the jobs in these 16 roles in Tampa-St. Petersburg, 0.7% across Florida and 0.9% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Florida
Across the 23 areas of Florida with data for this job, the median runs from $35,280 in Tallahassee to $48,020 in Port St. Lucie, a gap of $12,740 a year. The one area in Florida with more data entry specialists, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL ($40,160), also pays more.
| Area | Median | vs Tampa-St. Petersburg | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punta Gorda, FL | +2.2% | 40 | |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne, FL | +1.5% | 180 | |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | +1.3% | 190 | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | this area | 1,460 | |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach, FL | -0.5% | 120 | |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | -0.9% | 30 | |
| Jacksonville, FL | -2.6% | 680 |
Tampa-St. Petersburg against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Tampa-St. Petersburg is #13 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 Florida, Wichita and Greeley pay just above Tampa-St. Petersburg and Janesville-Beloit and Albany just below. All four are within $140 a year of the median in Tampa-St. Petersburg. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, all three pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Tampa-St. Petersburg | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +33.1% | 1,410 | jobs | |
| Boston-Cambridge, MA-NH | +23.7% | 1,460 | jobs | |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | +23.5% | 1,580 | jobs | |
| Greeley, CO | +0.1% | 40 | pay | |
| Wichita, KS | +0.1% | 190 | pay | |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL | this area | 1,460 | ||
| Janesville-Beloit, WI | -0.2% | 40 | pay | |
| Albany, GA | -0.4% | 40 | pay |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL?
About $49,690 a year at the median, or $4,141 a month: $38,510 in pay plus about $11,180 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What is the pay range for data entry specialists in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
The median was $38,510 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $33,120, the 90th $48,610, and the middle half earned $37,060 to $44,790.
Is Tampa-St. Petersburg cheaper than the rest of Florida for data entry specialists?
About the same: a median of $38,510 against $38,880 statewide. The next area up in Florida is Cape Coral-Fort Myers at $39,000, the next down Deltona-Daytona Beach at $38,300.
How many data entry specialists work in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
BLS counts about 1,460 in the May 2025 survey. That is 19% of the Florida total of 7,650. Only Miami-Fort Lauderdale has more in Florida.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Tampa-St. Petersburg?
Yes: $1,870 a year more at the median. The medians are $38,510 and $36,640.
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.