Data Entry Jobs — Remote, No Experience Required

What it's like to work in Data Entry

Data entry is honest, repetitive work that keeps the rest of the company running. Someone has to clean the CRM after a trade show, format the supplier list before the procurement audit, and reconcile yesterday's shipping records before the warehouse opens. The work is reliable, the expectations are clear, and the hours can be flexible. The category gets unfair scorn online, but it has launched many careers in operations and business analyst tracks. For a beginner who is dependable and fast on a keyboard, it is one of the easiest doors to walk through into remote work.

A typical day

A typical day is a queue of clearly-defined tasks: a CSV to clean, a CRM segment to update, a list of records to reconcile against a source system. The work is measurable, which is good and bad — you can prove you are pulling your weight, but you are also expected to actually pull it. Most teams give you control over your own schedule as long as you hit the agreed throughput.

Beginner skills that matter

Hiring managers in this category care about evidence over credentials. The skills below are what separate a "yes" pile from a "no" pile when there is no professional experience on the résumé:

• Typing speed of 50+ words per minute
• Spreadsheet basics (filtering, sorting, simple formulas)
• Attention to small inconsistencies
• Comfort with repetitive tasks
• Willingness to flag patterns you notice

What it pays

Ranges combine US Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational data with publicly-reported remote-work salary surveys (Buffer, FlexJobs, We Work Remotely). Outside the US, expect 30–60% of the listed range in lower-cost regions and parity with US rates for fully-distributed companies that pay globally.

How to get hired with no experience

Take a free typing test (10fastfingers.com or typingtest.com) and put your wpm and accuracy on your résumé. Apply with a one-paragraph cover letter that mentions a real example of detail-oriented work you have done — even if it is something modest like balancing a small bookkeeping ledger or maintaining a club roster. If the listing mentions a tool you do not yet know (Airtable, Salesforce), spend an hour with the free tutorial before applying so you can say honestly that you have used it.

What to put in your application

Highlight reliability over flair. Hiring managers in this category care about whether you will show up and finish what you start. A short, specific anecdote about completing a tedious task carefully is worth more than a polished cover letter.

Your first year on the job

Beginners in this category tend to follow a similar trajectory in their first 12 months. Expect rough milestones along the lines of:

• Week 1: pass the typing/accuracy assessment
• Month 1: hit baseline throughput target
• Month 3: notice and propose a process improvement
• Year 1: operations coordinator or junior analyst track

Where to go next on RemoteRise

If you're still browsing, the Start Here guide walks through the full beginner-to-hired arc in five steps. If you're ready to apply, the Remote Resume for Beginners guide explains exactly what to put on a one-page résumé when you have no formal remote experience yet. And if you're curious how payments work for international remote roles, our how remote workers get paid guide covers contractor vs. employee, currency conversion, and tax basics.