Data Entry Specialist salary in Trenton-Princeton, NJ
Hiring a data entry specialist costs less in Trenton-Princeton than in New Jersey or the country as a whole. The median is $40,910 a year1: 3.7% below the New Jersey statewide median of $42,470 and 1.0% below the US median of $41,340. Among US areas it comes in at #138 of 394. It is the largest market for the job in New Jersey: about 500 people, 10% of the New Jersey total.
BLS occupation 43-9021, area Trenton-Princeton, NJ. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Trenton-Princeton against New Jersey and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $36,080 | $40,910 | $57,780 | |
| New Jersey | $32,410 | $42,470 | $61,990 | |
| United States | $31,200 | $41,340 | $58,790 |
The middle half of data entry specialists in Trenton-Princeton earns $38,290–$49,630. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $57,780, only 1.6 times the bottom tenth, against 1.9 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. The mean ($44,200) 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 $11,340 wide, against $15,270 across New Jersey and $12,650 nationally: employers in Trenton-Princeton 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 | $36,080 | $3,007 | $17.35 | $46,555 |
| 25th percentile | $38,290 | $3,191 | $18.41 | $49,406 |
| Median | $40,910 | $3,409 | $19.67 | $52,787 |
| 75th percentile | $49,630 | $4,136 | $23.86 | $64,039 |
| 90th percentile | $57,780 | $4,815 | $27.78 | $74,555 |
Pay climbs faster above the median than below it here: the 75th percentile is $8,720 over the median, the 25th only $2,620 under it. An offer at the 75th percentile adds about $11,252 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 Trenton-Princeton, and the New Jersey statewide median of $42,470 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Trenton-Princeton
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 $11,877 to the $40,910 median and brings it to $52,787 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 Trenton-Princeton
Of the 17 roles we track in Trenton-Princeton, this one ranks #16 by median pay, between customer support specialists ($47,590) and virtual receptionists ($40,550). Project Coordinator is the highest at $113,750.
| Role | Median | vs data entry specialist | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR Assistant | +27.9% | 270 | |
| Medical Administrative Assistant | +20.2% | 920 | |
| Customer Support Specialist | +16.3% | 3,140 | |
| Data Entry Specialist | this role | 500 | |
| Virtual Receptionist | -0.9% | 1,980 |
Measured against the US median, data entry specialists rank #16 of the 17 roles we track in Trenton-Princeton (-1.0%), between HR assistants (+3.4%) and payroll specialists (-5.8%). The typical role here is at +7.1%, so, measured against the US, data entry specialists cost less in Trenton-Princeton than the area's general pay level would suggest. Data entry specialists hold 1.9% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Trenton-Princeton, 1.0% across New Jersey and 0.8% nationally. The job is a bigger part of the local workforce in these roles than it is nationally.
Other areas in New Jersey
Across the 3 areas of New Jersey with data for this job, the median runs from $38,330 in Vineland to $44,250 in Atlantic City-Hammonton, a gap of $5,920 a year. No other area in New Jersey has as many data entry specialists, and 1 of the other 2 pays less.
| Area | Median | vs Trenton-Princeton | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ | +8.2% | 120 | |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | this area | 500 | |
| Vineland, NJ | -6.3% | 50 |
Trenton-Princeton against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Trenton-Princeton is #46 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 Jersey, Cleveland and Buffalo-Cheektowaga pay just above Trenton-Princeton and Appleton and Cincinnati just below. All four are within $180 a year of the median in Trenton-Princeton. Of the three markets with about as many data entry specialists, two pay more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Trenton-Princeton | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | +11.5% | 520 | jobs | |
| Louisville, KY-IN | +6.5% | 510 | jobs | |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | +0.4% | 410 | pay | |
| Cleveland, OH | +0.2% | 900 | pay | |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | this area | 500 | ||
| Appleton, WI | -0.0% | 90 | pay | |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY | -0.2% | 950 | pay | |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake, VA-NC | -7.0% | 510 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire a data entry specialist in Trenton-Princeton, NJ?
About $52,787 a year at the median, or $4,399 a month: $40,910 in pay plus about $11,877 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do data entry specialists earn in Trenton-Princeton?
The median was $40,910 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $36,080, the 90th $57,780, and the middle half earned $38,290 to $49,630.
Is Trenton-Princeton cheaper than the rest of New Jersey for data entry specialists?
Yes, it costs less: a median of $40,910 against $42,470 statewide. The next area up in New Jersey is Atlantic City-Hammonton at $44,250, the next down Vineland at $38,330.
How many data entry specialists work in Trenton-Princeton?
BLS counts about 500 in the May 2025 survey. That is 10% of the New Jersey total of 4,940. No other area in New Jersey has as many.
Does a data entry specialist cost more than a virtual receptionist in Trenton-Princeton?
Yes: $360 a year more at the median. The medians are $40,910 and $40,550.
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.