Career comparison
Data Entry Clerk vs. Statistical Assistant
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Statistical assistants earn more at the median ($50,330 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. Statistical assistants compile and check data for statisticians and researchers.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Data Entry Clerk | Statistical Assistant | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $41,340 ($19.88/hr) | $50,330 ($24.20/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $31,200 – $58,790 | $35,990 – $81,990 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | -25.5% (a projected decline) | -1.8% (a projected decline) |
| Openings per year | 7,700 | 500 |
| Typical entry education | High school diploma or equivalent | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | A few weeks on the job | Entry-level with a degree |
| Key credential | Typing speed certificate | Excel certification |
| Work setting | Data entry clerks work in offices and often remotely.. | Statistical assistants work in offices, often for government and research groups.. |
What each job does
Data Entry Clerk
- Enter data from documents
- Verify accuracy
- Correct errors
- Update records
- Scan documents
Statistical Assistant
- Collect data
- Clean and code data
- Run basic statistics
- Build tables and charts
- Check data quality
How they’re similar
Both careers involve desk work, working independently, and working with information. 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 statistical assistant if…
- I like data
- I’m accurate
- I like spreadsheets
Still torn? Take the Data Entry Clerk fit quiz and the Statistical Assistant fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, data entry clerk or statistical assistant?
Statistical Assistants earn more at the median: $50,330 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 statistical assistants (Entry-level with a degree).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects statistical assistants to grow -1.8% from 2025–35, compared with -25.5% for data entry clerks.