Career comparison
Data Entry Clerk vs. File Clerk
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
File clerks earn more at the median ($43,600 vs. $41,340), while data entry clerks usually get to work faster (A few weeks on the job of training). Data entry clerks type information into computer systems quickly and accurately. File clerks organize, store and retrieve records so people can find them fast.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Data Entry Clerk | File Clerk | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $41,340 ($19.88/hr) | $43,600 ($20.96/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $31,200 – $58,790 | $31,200 – $63,490 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -25.5% (a projected decline) | -15.8% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 7,700 | 5,600 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Training time | A few weeks on the job | A few weeks on the job |
| Key credential | Typing speed certificate | Records management course |
| Work setting | Data entry clerks work in offices and often remotely.. | File clerks work in offices and records rooms.. |
What each job does
Data Entry Clerk
- Enter data from documents
- Verify accuracy
- Correct errors
- Update records
- Scan documents
File Clerk
- File documents
- Retrieve records
- Scan and index files
- Maintain filing systems
- Track checked-out files
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working independently. Both are part of the business & office field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose data entry clerk if…
- I type fast and accurately
- I can focus for long periods
- I like quiet work
Choose file clerk if…
- I’m very organized
- I like order
- I can work alone
Still torn? Take the Data Entry Clerk fit quiz and the File Clerk fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, data entry clerk or file clerk?
File Clerks earn more at the median: $43,600 versus $41,340 for data entry clerks, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Data Entry Clerks typically train faster (A few weeks on the job) than file clerks (A few weeks on the job).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects file clerks to grow -15.8% from 2025–35, compared with -25.5% for data entry clerks.