Data Entry Telecommuting Jobs: Do They Really Exist?

On every work at home community forum, you will inevitably see posts like this:

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I'm looking for a way to make money at home doing data entry. Where are the data entry jobs? Every site I find seems to want money from me.

Data entry is probably the most sought after type of telecommuting job, and unfortunately they are one of the most difficult to find. Even if you do find them, the competition for these jobs is unbelievable!

First, don't bother paying a fee to any of the companies who claim to have data entry jobs. Those are scams all the way. Also don't fall for those "order processing jobs" -- those are big time scams also.

Why are data entry jobs in such high demand?

Well, because data entry is usually a simple, easy, no-stress job. You simply sit at your computer and enter data. No talking to customers, no sales, no hassles. It's natural for people to desire a position like that. But is it realistic? And why aren't more opportunities available?

Think about the data entry process. Most often, data entry consists of taking information from paper documents and entering it into a computer database. But working a job like this from home presents some challenges. How will the employer get the paper documents to you? Shipping them to you would become extremely expensive and time consuming. If you do data entry for a local company, you could pick up the work yourself. This is the most common set up for home-based data entry operators. But if you're seeking a data entry position that is 100% telecommute, you may be searching for a long time. There just aren't any easy ways to provide the documents that need to be entered into the computer system.

Coding: another type of data entry telecommuting job

One type of data entry job that solves this dilemma is Coding. The documents to be coded (most often legal documents that need to be cataloged in a database for easy reference) are scanned as image files at the company or via a 3rd party service. The coder's job is to download these image files and enter key information from them into a computer database. Since it's all done via computer, it's a 100% telecommuting position.

However, there are drawbacks to this job also. The companies offering jobs like this are few and far between, which means there is also fierce competition for the jobs that are available. In addition, these jobs pay by the piece, so you have to be FAST in order to make a decent income. This is more challenging than you might think because the scanned images are sometimes dark, blurred, or otherwise hard to read, or you have to skim through a several hundred page document to find the information you need for the database. The work can be extremely monotonous and mind-numbing. Finally, the coding companies don't always have enough work available to keep all of their coders busy. You can go weeks with plenty to do, and then suddenly everything dries up for a few months and you're scrambling to earn a few bucks each week.

Yes, I'm speaking from experience. I worked as a coder for several months, and quickly decided it wasn't for me.

If you truly need to work at home and earn a reliable income, I wouldn't recommend coding or data entry as your only option. The opportunities are too few, the work often slow, and the money you earn may not be much at times. However, it can be a fun way to bring in some extra cash alongside other jobs you do, or to supplement your growing home business.

For a list of coding companies and other typing opportunities, check out our Telecommuting Page.

Wendy
Creative Work at Home
More Telecommuting Options
See also: How to Find Legitimate Telecommuting Jobs

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