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Amazon Data Entry Jobs: They Exist? Yes!

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If you’re reading this post, you’re probably thinking it’s going to be about working with Amazon as a data entry professional.

Sadly, this isn’t what this post is about; however, you can make money with Amazon as a data entry specialist.  I will get into that later.

Instead, what I’m going to talk about is how you can work with Amazon, through a program called MTurk, and find data entry jobs.  These jobs are available almost all the time, and the best thing about them is that you can work whenever you please.  It’s as flexible as they come.

So, in today’s post, I’m going to talk about the Amazon MTurk program and how you can make money with data entry jobs.

But first, if you want to work directly with Amazon and don’t care for the program I’m about to talk about, you may be able to find a data entry job.

How to Find a Data Entry Job Directly With Amazon

If you want to work with Amazon, you will want to the corporate page found here.  All of the jobs you see on this page are virtual, which simply means you can work from home.  When I was writing this, for instance, I saw more than 1,800+ virtual jobs.  Of course, this can change over time.

To find a data entry job, use the search tool found on this page and type data entry to see if any positions are open.  If so, they will show up, such as seen in the graphic below.

If you do go this route, it will be treated as a full- or part-time position, usually with benefits.  If you’re looking for something flexible, do not go this route!  Instead, follow the tips I’m about to mention.



Amazon Data Entry Jobs

Now, if you want flexibility and want to perform data entry work alongside an Amazon product, then let me show you how it’s done via the Mechanical Turk (MTurk) portal.  When people often think Amazon and data entry, this is what they are thinking about most of the time.

What is Amazon Mechanical Turk?

Simply put, the MTurk platform is a crowdsourcing marketplace for both individuals and businesses, known as requesters, to outsource a variety of tasks, such as data entry.  It’s a micro-tasking site, where anyone can post work and you can get paid to perform it.  Most tasks are very short, maybe one minute at most, and the pay is low, however, jobs don’t take that long, so the payments can add up.

Signing Up

The first thing you want to do is sign up for an MTurk account as a worker. It’s free and only takes a minute.  If you already have an Amazon account, then you can link that account to start working.  Once you get approved, usually within 24 to 48 hours, you can start working immediately.

Working on MTurk

Once approved, you will see a dashboard that looks something like this…

Keep in mind that the platform has much more than data entry jobs.  You can do anything from a survey to writing a small text blurb.  If you can do it online, you can do it here.

If it’s data entry work that you’re interested in, then it’s as easy as typing in data entry into the search box to see what comes up.  So, for example, here’s what happened when I did so…

There weren’t many jobs available, only about 100 at the time, but there are usually are some jobs.

Taking a Job

Now, if we look at that screenshot above, you will see the following:

  • the requester’s name
  • the title (this is a brief description of the job)
  • the number of HITs (how many jobs are available)
  • reward (how much you’re paid per HIT)
  • when it was created

All of the information you need to know is right there before you accept, but if you want to learn more about the job, you can click “preview” to see what the requester wants of you. Keep in mind some requesters expect a lot from you, whereas some requesters are fair in their pricing.  While the pricing may seem low, you can usually complete a HIT under 10-60 seconds.

So, for example, the HIT near the top, titled “Restaurant Receipt/Invoice with Bonus” required you to look at an invoice scan and then input the numbers found.  To me, this isn’t worth $0.08 as there was a lot of information to input.  This is why you will want to compare HITs and not blindly accept the first one you see.

Accepting Work

As you can see in the screenshot above, you can’t accept every job.  In some cases, you will have to qualify.

So, for example, that “Data Entry from images (P541-1003) required that I completed at least 2000 HITs on my profile before being allowed to work.  That’s how I had to qualify.  A lot of requesters can set their own parameters to weed out potential workers.  It doesn’t mean you’re a bad worker, per se, but it helps requesters know they are getting a high-quality worker.

Whenever you complete a HIT, you will be graded on how many HITs have been rejected.

Looking at my stats, I completed 1,063 HITs and 3 were rejected for a 99.72% approval rate.  Requesters look at this approval rate, so it’s very important you’re as accurate as possible to avoid a requester rejecting your work.

Granted, a worker can reject your work for no reason, but you will want to make sure you’re working with someone reputable.  To do so, click on the requester’s name and you should see a screen like this…

A good requester will have a high approval rate as well as a quick payment review time.  In this case, that requester is a good one to work with as they approve more than 99% of the work that comes in and is usually approved within 24 hours.

Working

Once you accept the work, just do as you’re told.  Typically, with data entry work, you will be asked to copy data from an image and insert it into a database.  Most of the jobs I have found are straight-forward.

After you submit, it’s then a waiting game, and when you get credited will depend on the requester you’re working with.  Some will pay within the hour, whereas some may take days.  Again, it depends on the requester you’re working with.

How Much Can You Make?

Most of the data entry jobs pay about $0.05 to $0.15 per HIT, with each job taking about one to five minutes.  A good job should take less than 60 seconds to complete. So, even at a higher price, say, $0.15 per HIT, you could make $9~ an hour.  I know, it’s not much, but remember, there are many other jobs that pay much more than this.  I do recommend you read a guide I’ve written in the past, showing you what you need to do to make $50 a day on MTurk.  It’s possible, but you will have to do much more than data entry work.

As for payouts, you can choose your frequency, ranging from three to 30 days, either via a cash transfer to your bank or directly to your Amazon.com gift card balance.  Most people choose the three-day payment frequency with payments going to their bank.

Final Thoughts

You won’t get rich with MTurk, but you can make $5 to $25+ per day doing data entry work.  It’s flexible and allows you to choose the jobs you want to do.  Best of all, you can work anywhere around the world.  You’re going to get mixed reviews with this platform, but I have found a lot of people have liked it simply for the flexibility.

If you like data entry work and want to work with Amazon, MTurk is the way to do it.  There are always jobs available, not just data entry work, and it can earn you some dinner money in some cases.  Again, as long as you have the mindset you can’t quit your day job, it makes it that much better. Don’t expect the best pay.

That does it for now.

As always, check out the many guides I have written on the site.  I continue to add as much as I can, always being as honest as possible.  Also, don’t forget to comment below if I forgot to add anything or you want to comment on what I have written.

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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